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In Germany, a zoo had to be partly evacuated due to flooding.
Thursday, December 28, 2023 at 3:30 PM
After heavy rainfall earlier this week, several parts of Serengeti Park in Hodenhagen, Lower Saxony, have been flooded. Some places are only accessible by all-terrain vehicles.
For example, water entered the enclosure of about two hundred monkeys, meaning the animals had to be housed elsewhere. Some lemurs, meerkats and prairie dogs are also temporarily sheltered elsewhere.
The situation is especially critical near the Masai Mara Lodges, where antelopes and giraffes have shelter. However, the larger animals remain where they are for the time being as the water does not extend beyond the edge of their hooves. Moving a giraffe is also not without risk, the zoo stated.
The power had to be temporarily turned off throughout the park. Emergency generators are used to heat the stables and provide the animals with drinking water. Park employees, together with the emergency services, are building temporary dams to protect the stables against the rising water.
The zoo borders the Meiße River, which has overflowed its banks. There are also several watercourses and lakes on the site that have been flooded by rising groundwater. Lions, rhinos, tigers and elephants live in the park.
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