ZooAmerica would like to thank the public for such an incredible response of support and concern during this difficult time. Each day since the flood, staff from the Zoo, Hershey Nursery, and HersheyPark have been rigorously working to clean up and repair damage. While much has been accomplished, there is still much to do. We will let you know as soon as we are ready to open our doors again. Since you are unable to stop in to see how our animals are doing, we snapped a few pictures this afternoon. The sun is shining, and many of the animals are out lounging and enjoying nicer weather.
Unaffected by the noise of construction, Roy takes a nap on his favorite high branch.
Sally the bear resting in her den on exhibit
Our three deer laying in the grassy shade.
Patrick holding Louie, our green iguana. She typically resides in the Zoo Outpost shop in the Park, but lives at the Zoo when the Park is closed.
Prairie dog up and at attention
Custer, our 4 year old male wolf
Kara, one of our female wolves
Sioux (4 year old female) is towards the back, while Dakota (alpha male) is up front checking out the camera.
A closer look at Sioux
57 comments
Comments feed for this article
September 12, 2011 at 8:18 pm
PAgal
Thanks for the pics of the animals. Cannot wait until you open again.
September 12, 2011 at 8:27 pm
In PA
Glad the sun is out ,best of luck with the clean up
September 12, 2011 at 8:32 pm
Jennifer G (@Mom2Ian03)
Good luck with the cleanup. Looking forward to visiting again.
September 12, 2011 at 10:08 pm
sheila l.
Thank you for the updates! We will keep checking back to see when you are open so we can come and visit!
September 13, 2011 at 1:37 am
Anonymous
How amazing! Yeah, its great the animals are all well and whatever, but your PR personnel literally made those bumbling fools finally shut their pie holes!! I need me some PR folks like that! It’s all like “yeah, you’re calling who liars? KABOW, picture of a wolf in yo’ face! All the prairie dogs are floating downstream? Oh yeah? Consider yourself p’owned.” This was probably the greatest event to come out of the whole flood – the silence that fell over the dumb masses when they realize they are dead wrong, falsely accused innocent people of things that never happened, and oh yeah, can get sued for slander. Amen! There is a god afterall!
Seriously though, awesome work keepers of the force!
September 13, 2011 at 3:55 am
Barbara
Mr. Chubb said officials decided to move two sea lions out of the Aqua Theater area about 1 p.m. Wednesday because the water was rising quickly.
It (the flood) was far from them, but we didn’t want to take any chances, Chubb said.
That was very wise. When Mr. Snyder saw the creek rising (but not over the banks) would have been a good time to remove the bison totally from the area. Once again, raining for days, imminent flash flood and regional flood warnings from weathercasters.
Large animals are not easy for zoos to move around; however, they must, for ‘just-in-case,’ precautionary measures when warnings are this severe.
Happy to hear Mr. Snyder said it won’t happen again and if they get more bison, they will need a different environment.
Thank you for the photos. So happy to see the wolves and remaining animals doing well. Sorry, to hear about the nine prairie dogs.
September 13, 2011 at 3:28 pm
LouieS
I echo your sentiments, Barbara.
It is also worth drawing attention to the fact that in the photos and videos ZooAmerica provided to various news outlets, Dale Snyder demonstrated with his hands how high the water rose in the bison enclosure in past floods. Even had the water never gotten higher than it had in the past, the bison would still have had their feet and part of their legs in flood water. It was a known risk and it was not safe.
It appears that ZooAmerica gambled that water would never rise to a higher level than it had previously and gambled that flood water would not continue to cover the ground in the bison enclosure for very long. Hoof stock should not be forced to stand in water for any length of time. It is not good for their feet. They develop foot rot, other infections, or injuries to their feet and legs. It also puts staff at risk to have to wade through water to care for animals under those conditions.
It appears to have been less a matter of the water rising too rapidly and coming up higher than ever before and more a matter of not having a plan and equipment in place to be ABLE to move the bison. It appears that moving the bison elsewhere was not considered until the situation was past hope. We trust there will soon be an investigation by regulatory bodies and ZooAmerica will provide complete and honest information to officials.
ZooAmerica now needs to do a thorough risk assessment and have plans and equipment in place to prevent any animal from ever touching flood water again. Their plan should include permanently moving the prairie dog colony to higher ground as a preventive measure. It is clear that those animals are endangered when the creek floods, too.
The other comment I will make is about censorship of these posts by ZooAmerica. I had a hard time getting ZooAmerica to leave up information I posted over the weekend and reposted yesterday to the story entitled “An Update from ZooAmerica”. The information finally stayed up after the 3rd time I posted it. A post by a person named Jane was apparently also removed. Then I got curious and read the posts to the story “Loss of Bison at ZooAmerica”. A couple of people remarked about comments by Eva Ordo….. but apparently ZooAmerica had removed Eva’s post. I looked closely and could never find it. I’m really troubled by that. ZooAmerica left up emotional rants and even a post that included the “F-word”. It seems that rationally-presented factual information was what ZooAmerica found sufficiently threatening to take down.
ZooAmerica, you are only as sick as your secrets. I appreciate it that no one who works for your organization ever wanted any animal to be harmed and that human beings make errors in judgment. I know it was a traumatic experience for those who work with the animals. But errors clearly were made. We want you to learn from this tragedy and use the information to make things better. The handwringing and “Oh, we did everything we could” claims are offensive. A sufficient risk assessment was not conducted after the last flood and no plan was in place to move the bison. Please, do it better this time.
Please leave my post up for others to read. Thank you in advance.
September 13, 2011 at 7:30 pm
kadoka
Thank you for posting the new pictures. That is what people needed to see.
Although, I’m not sure how the pic of the prairie dog is there since it was on the news that all of them drowned. Did one of them escape his flooded enclosure?
I am sure the animals are still terrified with all of the changes that took place in their lives so recently. Hopefully, over time, all will return to normalcy.
September 14, 2011 at 1:08 am
Tracy
Get real people. How do you really know when the pictures were taken?
September 14, 2011 at 4:01 am
Anonymous
Are they going to redesign the pen for bison, if they acquire new ones? If so, I’m very happy to hear this. Unfortunately, with previous flooding in the zoon, it took the one tragic time for something to come about. Please, let this never happen again.
<3 Esther and Ryan <3
September 14, 2011 at 1:05 pm
katiezoo
@Kadoka- We were able to save 9 prairie dogs during the flooding which is why you saw a picture of them.
@Anonymous- We are well underway with coming up with a design for the bison exhibit to ensure this will never happen again.
September 14, 2011 at 3:00 pm
anon
That’s interesting. Would you care to tell us a little about your new design that is well underway?
September 15, 2011 at 5:42 pm
Laureen
Many of us saw the news clip on WGAL Channel 8 from Sept. 12 giving an update on the animals and the damage from the flood. Thank you for reaching out to us through the media to show us. Also, thank you for the pictures you posted on the web site. We asked you to give us peace of mind and follow up to let us know an update on the animals and you responded. We are all sad for the animals lost, both Esther and Ryan as well as some of the prairie dogs.
Please continue to inform us by posting updates and using the media to let us know your efforts to ensure this never happens again.
September 17, 2011 at 2:40 pm
Alex
Katiezoo – too late just don’t believe you. First you stated that only the bison were lost in the flood then it comes out that some prairie dogs were lost too. Just couldn’t really tell how many because they bury their own dead. Wondering to the wolves bury their own dead too ?
September 18, 2011 at 3:39 am
Anonymous
We were just there today and we didn’t see one prairie dog! Not to say they aren’t there, but we did wait some time at exhibit trying to see them! It was sad to see the empty bison cage but all the remaining animals were were very active!!
September 19, 2011 at 7:29 pm
Anonymous
I’ve just read this post and all the comments that people posted. If you are here because you support the zoo, then trust them. If you are here just to bash the zoo, then you are in the wrong place. I’ve spent a lot of time at ZooAmerica, and I know a lot of the zoo keepers. I know they care deeply for the animals, and I know they did everything in their power to save them during the flood.
To the people who think there wasn’t a plan, I know there was, and they enacted it. The problem is the water rose quicker then anyone could have predicted. This was nothing but a tragic accident. I know they are working on redoing the bison pen, and hopefully the new pen will prevent another tragic accident from happening.
To the person who posted about moving the prairie dogs to higher ground. This is always an option, if the zoo is redesigned, but still wouldn’t necessarily solved the problem. If anyone knows the history of ZooAmerica, they would know that the current prairie dog exhibit was build where “monkey island” used to be. So this enclosure was designed to hold water. So now onto moving the exhibit to higher ground. When you redo the exhibit it would have to be redone almost the exact same way. This enclosure, although rather deep, I’ve always been told was cement enclosed. This is to prevent the prairie dogs from being able to dig their way out. So, if you rebuild this exhibit on higher ground, and get the kind of rain we got during this flood, the exhibit would again fill with water.
But I guess my main thought and comment is, for everyone to just learn the facts before they start talking. I know there are a lot of facts that I don’t know, but I’m talking to the right people to learn them. So if you support ZooAmerica, then continue to go to the zoo, and show your support. If you don’t support them in what happened, then don’t post your rants on places like this, and move on.
September 20, 2011 at 4:14 am
Doe
To the very brave soul who posted on Sept. 19 and calls him/herself “Anonymous”: The comments about what happened at the zoo take on many shades besides a simple black/white option of “supporting” vs “bashing” the zoo. It appears the zoo had one close call during Ivan – in which flood water reached the bison enclosure – the lack of a plan to do anything more than they did before appalls many of us. We feel entitled to express ourselves.
Here are some facts: the Animal Welfare Act, which has regulatory authority over zoos, requires an evacuation/relocation plan for marine mammals. Notice the marine mammals were safely relocated prior to the zoo being inundated with water. The addition to AWA regulations of a similar evacuation/relocation requirement for ALL zoo animals is being discussed but is not currently in place. The lack of specific language in the regulations that would have REQUIRED an evacuation/relocation plan for the bison is probably the single largest factor that led to their deaths. Had ZooAmerica been under a specific requirement to be ABLE to evacuate the bison I am sure they would have done so before the water came up. But without that specific requirement, the close call they had with Ivan was not sufficient to induce them to make the kind of plans that truly would have kept the bison safe.
I expect ZooAmerica will still be visited by the USDA. Exactly how the USDA interprets what happened to the bison will be determined by facts and standards that are, hopefully, applied equally to all zoos.
September 20, 2011 at 6:53 pm
Anonymous
To ALL zoo staff:
It is with great sorrow you have all been condemed for your valiant effort. As a firefighter I can share in your unrest over the tradgic lose during your rescue eforts. I have trained and planned extensively to be a volunteer firefighter. That being said we have still lost souls due to this flood. The persons condeming you should be condeming the emergency responders for losing people in the flood as well. I understand that somethings are unexpected. The weather service was callling for falsh flooding which I am certain was not the first time this has ever happened. Due to the quick onset of flooding no one was well prepared for this. It is a tragedy that this happened but no one person or company was at fault.
To all who condemn the zoo:
I woulc like you to step away from your warm home and from behind the keyboard. Volunteer as I have in the fire service and realize that sometimes shit happens that is beyond your control. All those who spent days out im the cold wet dreary conditions to save animals humans and property gave more than thier fair share. Please call your local fore department and explain to them that in the event of a fire at your home please dont respond because you have planned so well that they are not needed. Your claims of preparedness or lack there of is so bewildering it astounds me. We as fire fighters have learned from our fallen bretheren and past mistakes in order to reduce the loss of life and property. The zoo I am sure has learned greatly from this tragedy and once normal operation has resumed or even at this moment are already working on a better plan.please accept this dunce hat as a token of my appreciation to you external biased view. When you put yourself on the line as so many have at the zoo and in the northeast I and everyone else will accept your apology.
September 20, 2011 at 10:43 pm
Alex
Katiezoo – just don’t believe what you have to say.
September 21, 2011 at 1:00 am
Anonymous
I was at the zoo today and saw with my own eyes the 9 prairie dogs – yep, I counted them – and the wolves. They are still working on the fence around the wolf enclosure so they’re not out in the main area, but if you look across when you’re standing up near the lynx you can see the wolves at the far back end of their exhibit. The prairie dogs were busy digging new holes and rebuilding their town. And that’s what we all need to do now. What happened was a tragedy and at this point the Zoo needs to rebuild and go on from here. People harping and sniping about all this aren’t proving anything, they’re not solving anything, and they’re not helping anything. The Zoo will either be investigated or it won’t. Nothing we can do about that either way. But it’s time to lay off the incessant nasty comments and move on. RIP, bison and prairie dogs. May this tragey never be repeated.
September 21, 2011 at 2:41 am
LouieS
If people drowned in flood water at a daycare or school or nursing home, I think many would have a different opinion of the planning and response of the individuals in charge. (Of course now someone will criticize me for equating people and animals…. ) I am NOT equating people and animals. I am pointing out that the planning and response of ZooAmerica was inadequate. The final outcome makes it undeniable that the plan was inadequate. No matter how much the people who worked at ZooAmerica cared for those animals (and I believe they DID care), the higher ups did not have an adequate plan or response in place. This was not an unexpected fire that resulted from faulty wiring hidden within a wall. This was a creek that had flooded before and was destined to flood again. It was a disaster waiting to happen… a ticking time bomb…. choose your metaphor. The outcome would have been different if a better plan had been in place.
September 21, 2011 at 2:52 am
Anonymous
LouieS –
Your comments proved nothing, solved nothing, and helped no one. Get over your bombastic self and move on.
September 21, 2011 at 4:49 am
LouieS
Anonymous, I haven’t made personal attacks against you or anyone else. Why are you attacking me? I have analyzed what happened and what was done and what was NOT done. You’ve attacked me personally. Why? Because I dared to comment on the obvious? To deny the reality of what happened and its causes will only allow such tragedies to happen again. I am not anti-Zoo and I am not anti-Zoo staff, but some people are. Mistakes as were made with the bison give people who are anti-zoo a lot of ammunition to use. I think that is very regretable. I think its better to admit where mistakes were made and take positive steps to prevent them from happening again. It is a much more constructive response than to make personal attacks against another individual as you have done. What have your comments proven or solved?
September 21, 2011 at 2:49 pm
Anonymous
Louis -
Haven’t several executives within Hershey and the zoo told you that this was indeed a regrettable event and that work is underway to prevent such an event in the future? Why do you feel the need to prattle on about something which is alreayd being delt with by those more experienced and more educated about these sorts of things than yourself? I agree with the other commentor – you have done nothing to add to the discussion nor have you helped the communities still in disarray after this tragedy, so do you actually have a point or do you like to preach?
September 21, 2011 at 3:53 pm
LouieS
What we’ve heard from Hershey was an intial report that 2 bison were “euthanized”. Later we learned that wasn’t true: 1 drowned and 1 was shot with a fire arm because it, too, was struggling to keep its head above water. We were told the bison were moved to “higher” ground. Yet, there isn’t any significantly “higher” ground in the bison enclosure. We were told by Hershey that the water came up too quickly to move the bison. But neighbors who watched what happened tell us the water came up slowly over a period of hours and that this was not a flash flood.
If this is a blog open to the public for comment about ZooAmerica, I think you should get over it that not everyone agrees with Hershey and not everyone agrees with you. If you have a comment that adds some constructive insight about what happened or what was done, then please add that. But if you have nothing to add other than personally-directed criticism toward an individual who holds a different opinion than you do, you are showing your inability to debate the issues on their merits.
To continually throw in side-tracking comments about who has or has not “helped communities in disarray” is completely irrelevant to the purpose of this ZooAmerica blog. Go find a different discussion if that is what you want to do. This is not a contest about who can do the most to help others. This is a site about ZooAmerica.
September 21, 2011 at 4:29 pm
Anonymous
Even with the full truth exposed and admitted by Zoo America, there will always be immature individuals who can’t or won’t ever get passed this. Even with staff admitting that this needs to change and it is in the process of being changed, there will be those individuals who are so blinded by their own radical views about this situation that would rather tear down individuals than keep their views to themselves. And even if these “neighbors” have been proven incredible with their live action accounts, there will always be those simpletons who would rather listen to sensationalism than the boring truth. Truth: tragic though it may be, we are now 2 weeks passed this event and the powers that be are working to make the necessary changes to ensure this never happens again. Truth: that will never be enough for some people. Truth: Zoo America does so much good and necessary work year round that one incident will not tarnish their long term outlook.
To the staff – don’t worry about the things you can not change, change the things you can, and may good fortune always be on your side!
September 21, 2011 at 5:13 pm
LouieS
Dear Anonymous,
Is there any chance you are a Hershey employee masquerading as a member of the general public?
September 21, 2011 at 6:16 pm
Anonymous
Dear Louis, is there any chance you’re truly El Diablo masquerading around as a human being?
September 21, 2011 at 6:29 pm
LouieS
Evasive answer. Enough said.
September 21, 2011 at 7:21 pm
Anonymous
Not being evasive – just being as rude as you are. I guess someone doesn’t like the taste of his own medicine. That’s ok. I understand. Its quite bitter!
September 21, 2011 at 7:28 pm
LouieS
You clearly don’t LIKE my comments, but they have not been rude. I have expressed no disrespect toward you. You, in contrast, have been rude and disrespectful toward me. I have made no personal attacks against you. But, once again, you have resorted to personal attacks against me.
It is so important and so beneficial to a free society for there to be free expression and exchange of ideas. For that to happen, people have to get past making personal attacks on each other and keep their focus on the issues.
September 22, 2011 at 5:10 am
Brad
I like your comments Louie. Keep um coming. Ryan was killed out of season. The shooter discharged a gun into a murky stream, lined by stones to kill an animal who may have lived. Heavier things than 2000lb bison, float. It’s blood polluted an entire state’s waterways. How is that not someone’s fault? What was necessary was a reservoir upstream, after the first incident, Agnes. Not an evac. Did we get that after the first time around? No we certainly didn’t, how long has it been, since they learned it was a problem, 32 years. The town got more overpriced tourist traps, in that time, but no upstream reservoir for Spring Creek. That coal generator serves no purpose, why is it still in the stream? No black smoke comes out of the two smokestacks. If the people who got paid to spot obsolete infrastructure did their jobs correctly, instead of politic on the taxpayers dollar this wouldn’t have happened. Ryan would still be grazing. I vote to close Hersheypark as an example to Americans everywhere for what not to do, as an enterprise bearing the name “America” in it. The law book needs to come down hard on Hershey. Jail time for the shooter. Prohibit that curator from ever holding a job with large mammals, again. Even mucking stalls is out of his qualifications. Close HERCO’s doors, NOW!
September 22, 2011 at 2:54 pm
Anonymous
Louis and Brad sure so sound like HERCO ex-employees!! Lol. They aure are awefully disgruntled at all the wrong people. Don’t let them bother you, zoo crew. They really are a great example of “If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all” gone wrong. They obviously don’t have a lick of maturity or manners to be crticizing zoo staff in the manner that they are.
September 22, 2011 at 6:49 pm
Anonymous
You go Anonymous!
I’ve read this blog from beginning to this and you seem to live close enough to be a regular supporter. Someone who not only knows the zoo but also those who work and reside their. In essence, the animals and people there are more then exibits and staff to you but family. I’m proud that you are standing up for them in this blog and I am sorry to hear that YOU lost someone close to you. You have known those bison for quite some time and it must be hard for you to read ignorant words from ignorant people bent on taking pleasure in someone elses pain. As a keeper (in my younger days), I know that connection and I know the pain they (and you) felt on that horrible day and to what extent any of those keepers would have done to save any of those animals.
Pay their ramblings no mind and keep up the positive postings. Other keepers do read these things and they need to know that their teachings about our beautiful planet hasn’t fallen on deaf ears.
Ignorance may be bliss but the facial expression is a blank stare.
September 22, 2011 at 7:22 pm
LouieS
Guess again! Louie’s never worked at Herco but does know quite a bit about animals. Louie’s guess is that not all the posts supporting ZooAmerica’s decisions about the bison are coming from the general public. Louie’s guess is that someone using the name “Anonymous” gets paid to craft ZooAmerica’s image.
September 23, 2011 at 12:10 am
Anonymous
@Anon – The value of zoos and other such institutions is not lost on everyone, and the expression of compassion in these institutions is heartwarming! I have seen many blank stares at places like this, showing that so many people live numb to nature.
@Louis – You’re guess couldn’t be more off base, and is only trumped by how little you know about animals as demonstrated by your previous suggestions given AFTER this unfortunate situation. Its incredibly pompous and mildly annoying that you refer to yourself in the third person.
September 23, 2011 at 3:09 am
Anonymous
Where are all of the fish that were in the tank near the bear ? Visited on Monday and fish were not there.
September 23, 2011 at 3:43 am
LouieS
You are all so mean to me! I feel like I’m gonna cry… snif snif….:(
September 23, 2011 at 4:58 am
Michelle
Hey thanks for deleting my post!! That is super awesome that I ask the people on here bloggin about findin wolves on Tinidad and what happened before in the bison pen (seems to be a catastophe happened during Ivan or Agnus, no one knows) to tell us where to find the info and boom my post is gone. Well that proves it for me. I was upset by what happened, thats why I read this from top to bottom. I’m not an activist, I’m not even a vegetarian. You know what? When my dog walks under me I even complain about it! GASP! But I do work hard for my money, and I do try to teach my children values. I’ve been going to Hershey for years, but if there is something to hide(which there must be if no one was allowed to answer my questions) then I’m afraid I find it against my beliefs and wallet to go back. Thanks for proving these bloggers that your knockin right!
September 23, 2011 at 1:55 pm
Debbie W
I have always loved visiting Hershey and will continue to do so. I think that there is just so much that is not understood about what happened, and so many people trying to point a finger. It won’t bring the bison back. I am sure if the employees knew what would be the end result, things might have gone a little different. But who are we? We are people, and mistakes are made, and you try to move on. Don’t ruin a fun family place because you are mad, by bad mouthing it. I am sure there are better things for you to do. Do you really think that the people who choose to work in a zoo don’t really care about the animals?
September 23, 2011 at 2:21 pm
Treefrog
…and you wonder why companies, corporations (and the goverment, for the matter) don’t tell the truth about happens behind the scenes. When they do, the public judges them, calles them liars and tries to pin something even more horrible then the truth on them.
I think the public gets what it deserves. You want the truth and you end up with lies, even when it’s the truth you are dealing with.
September 23, 2011 at 6:17 pm
LouieS
Other than legitimate trade secrets, when companies don’t tell the truth it is BECAUSE they have something to hide. ZooAmerica has been forced to become more forthcoming about what happened, but they started out telling a story that was found to be untrue (2 bison “euthanized”). As many individuals have pointed out, bison had been housed for years in a flood-prone enclosure. Had anyone been thinking and planning ahead, the bison would not have been left there on September 7. If you are implying that ZooAmerica is being punished for its honesty, think again. They are being held accountable by the public for what appears to be poor planning and errors in judgement. The public outcry exists solely because of what appears to have been negligence. Negligence and honesty are not the same.
September 24, 2011 at 12:13 am
Anonymous
…And the conspiracy thoerist is at it again. The truth is the truth. No matter how much you want it to be, your version of reality isn’t the truth. You know nothing about this situation or this facility. You need to stop.
September 26, 2011 at 10:07 am
Ed Greenland
@LouieS gunshot is classified as a humane method of euthanasia by the U.S.D.A.
September 26, 2011 at 11:36 pm
LouieS
If you are referring to the 9/21 post, the issue was letting the animals struggle to the point that one had already drowned and the other was also struggling. The first reports were that 2 animals had been “euthanized”. It’s a bit offensive to learn later that that wasn’t really what happened.
September 27, 2011 at 7:42 pm
Anonymous
I went there for black-footed ferret day and there were no prarie dogs. The ground was untouched!
September 28, 2011 at 8:10 am
Ed Greenland
@LouieS Don’t you think it’s time to move on? There comes a point when you need to quit harping on the subject and maybe try to help in some way. You seem to have a lot of words but nothing to back them up.
September 29, 2011 at 12:49 am
LouieS
Ed, I replied to your comment on Aug 26, “gunshot is classified as a humane method o f euthanasia by the USDA”. I believe you misunderstood my post – from 5 days earlier. So I replied to clarify the misunderstanding. Now, how ’bout YOU move on?
September 30, 2011 at 1:31 am
Ed Greenland
What do you expect to happen from your criticism?
September 30, 2011 at 1:41 am
Anonymous
Hmmmm. Seems Ed’s not really following the conversation…
October 2, 2011 at 10:23 am
Ed Greenland
Oh I am following quite well and I don’t see anything productive.
October 3, 2011 at 4:42 am
Anonymous
There he goes again…..Ed’s grumping around about what other people write …. seems to think it’s his place to tell everyone else what they should and shouldn’t think….
October 3, 2011 at 7:17 pm
Brad
It wasn’t shot in a merciful manner, it suffered pain unmercifully just prior to death. It witnessed its sister drowned! The shooter couldn’t even confirm the kill. Corpse was left in a deluge, I didn’t see you Anom, jumping in to check a pulse. It suffocated. How do you know the bullet killed it? Did you perform an autopsy? To ram water down a mammals throat and then while its groping for o2, further limit its air, by noosing it, further limiting its airflow, tie it down so it couldn’t get o2, and then shoot it haphazardly in a flooded creek lined with rocks? Letting it out to set off a few car alarms, and roam a closed road, or neighbors yard, makes more sense to me. Heck upstate PA, the wild Elk eat peoples window awnings. A penalty should be forthcoming for that inhumane behavior. What fines have been levied thusfar?
October 3, 2011 at 7:42 pm
Brad
My .02, a fine of one guest golfers round $300 on the old course at the Hershey Country Club on East Chocolate times 32 years times 365 days should suffice. The HCC’s upstream creek led it into the coal generator and then out into the zoo. It is where an unsightly reservoir should have gone years ago had the zoo wanted to maintain operation postAgnes. Instead the land there remained zoned for residential mansions and golfing entertainment. $3,504,000 fine would make “this Hershey resident” happy. 3.5mil is a resonable debt to society, all payable by the exterminator-euthanizer. A magnificant beast is no more by his hand alone. They had THIRTY-TWO years to make this right. The cage lock could have been opened, the fence pulled down by a truck hitch and chain. Someone has to pay for this outrageous killing. The HCC can help the irresponsible shooter raise funds to pay his fine. I understand the obsolete coal generator has a new owner, how convienent of them to sell, right NOW. When the Feds are here… Crooks. *spit*
October 6, 2011 at 6:02 pm
Jen
Visited zoo yesterday. Was beautiful as always. Good to see the animals. Sad to see the bison area empty. Know you did all you could to save them. Anxious to see what the future holds for the zoo.
October 8, 2011 at 4:28 am
Anonymous
I heard the USDA visited the zoo to check into things after the loss of the bison. Does anyone know how the visit went?
November 30, 2011 at 5:18 pm
Anonymous
The FDA and USDA didn’t do squat. PETA lost. ZooAmerica, is still in ruining the traditions of every red blooded American works hard to preserve. This whole affair just goes to show how much honest and respectable oversight is really going on in America. I heard Bill Gates took the stand last week in a landmark trial, and walked away Scott free like every other American Monopolist that has ever exploited free trade. System doesn’t work. America needs more occupiers on wall street, until it starts working.