Emergency plan for Serengeti Park Hodenhagen - Stunning the animals?
The situation in the Serengeti Park Hodenhagen is coming to a head. Individual buildings are being secured with temporary dykes. Parts of the park can only be reached with special equipment. And a number of animals are still stuck in the park. Some of them have to be anaesthetized in order to be rescued.
The Serengeti Park Hodenhagen is preparing for further evacuations of animals due to the flooding with an emergency plan. A spokeswoman for the zoo north of Hanover said that the house of the antelopes and giraffes, which is surrounded by water, was a particular cause for concern. "These animals would have to be anaesthetized for an evacuation, which is a big risk." In an emergency, the zoo is also considering how the animals could be transported through the masses of water under anaesthetic. The roads are no longer passable with trucks and flatbeds. The house of the antelopes and giraffes is currently being protected with sandbags, the spokeswoman reported.
In addition, employees of the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) had set up another water pump there during the night. As a result, the water around the stables had recently dropped by three centimeters and there was also less water in the house itself. Employees of the zoo had recently spread straw on the ground to stop the water from entering.
"The water was waist-high"
The day before, zookeepers and the THW had rescued three hussar monkeys from their enclosure. They could only reach the house on foot. "The water was waist-deep", said the zoo spokeswoman. They caught the animals and carried them individually through the water in large plastic boxes. Lemurs, varis, prairie dogs and meerkats had already been evacuated and moved to other stables on the grounds.
According to the park, large parts of the grounds are flooded and in some cases cannot be reached at all or can only be reached with Unimogs or tractors. In the north-east of the site, administrative and utility buildings, restaurants, stores and some of the lodges are surrounded by water. "Fortunately, the fewest animals are housed there," said the spokeswoman.
"Let's hope the dams hold"
The power had to be cut to the entire area. The park is now using several emergency generators to heat the stables and prepare drinking water. Park employees and emergency services from the fire department and THW built temporary dams to secure the animals' stables. "We sincerely hope that the dams will hold the water", said the spokeswoman.
The Meiße River, which has burst its banks, borders the zoo. There are also several watercourses and lakes on the site that have overflowed due to the rising groundwater. The park is home to lions, rhinos, tigers and elephants, among others.
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The ongoing extreme weather conditions have resulted in international concern, with Serengeti Park Hodenhagen experiencing unprecedented flooding. The situation is so severe that the Spokeswoman of the zoo mentioned, "We are considering international aid, as the roads are no longer passable with trucks and flatbeds, making it difficult to evacuate larger animals."
Given the extent of the flooding in Lower Saxony, the Spokeswoman of the Serengeti Park Hodenhagen further added, "We are closely monitoring the weather forecasts, as any sign of a possible extreme weather event could exacerbate the current situation and make the evacuation process even more challenging."
Source: www.ntv.de
