San Antonio Zoo mobilizing support to help with Hurricane Ian relief

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The zoo is sending leadership, an electrician, a welder and additional multi-trade individuals

The San Antonio Zoo is mobilizing a support unit Sunday morning to the main impact zones of Hurricane Ian in Punta Gorda, Florida

Courtesy of the San Antonio Zoo

In one more effort of kindness by the Alamo City, the San Antonio Zoo is extending a helping hand to our neighbors out east who were ravaged by Hurricane Ian over the course of this week.

The San Antonio Zoo, for the fourth time in recent years, is mobilizing a support unit for the main impact zones of Punta Gorda, Florida who were affected by Hurricane Ian as part of the Zoological Disaster Response, Rescue, and Recovery (ZDR3), according to a release shared Sunday morning. 

ZDR3 was first established after the San Antonio Zoo led statewide efforts to assist Houston’s Downtown Aquarium and Texas Zoo in Victoria during Hurricane Harvey in August of 2017. According to the release, ZDR3 utilizes network facilities such as the San Antonio Zoo for deployment once areas of needs in the region are identified and access permissions are granted.

The zoo is sending leadership, an electrician, a welder, and additional multi-trade individuals to assist in clearing debris, restoring power, and fixing facilities and habitats.

SANIBEL ISLAND, FL - OCTOBER 01: Members of the Project DYNAMO rescue organization talk with a resident in a storm damaged home in the wake of Hurricane Ian on October 1, 2022 on Sanibel Island, Florida. Known for rescues in Afghanistan and Ukraine, the Florida based Project DYNAMO team was unable to make contact with the person they were searching for on this mission. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

SANIBEL ISLAND, FL – OCTOBER 01: Members of the Project DYNAMO rescue organization talk with a resident in a storm damaged home in the wake of Hurricane Ian on October 1, 2022 on Sanibel Island, Florida. Known for rescues in Afghanistan and Ukraine, the Florida based Project DYNAMO team was unable to make contact with the person they were searching for on this mission. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

Sean Rayford/Getty Images

Offering one of the largest and most experienced ZDR3’s in the nation, the unit most recently mobilized to Louisiana after Hurricane Laura in August of 2020. This mission is being made possible with gas cards donated by Valero Energy, a vehicle provided by Ancira Auto Group, and a generator donated by HOLT CAT San Antonio, according to the release.