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All animals safe as ZooTampa remains without power after Hurricane Milton
Once power is back on, the zoo plans to conduct more assessments before announcing a reopening date.
TAMPA, Fla. — ZooTampa announced on Friday that it will remain closed for cleanup and recovery after Hurricane Milton made landfall on Wednesday night.
According to a statement from the zoo, it is currently without power and it’s utilizing emergency generators to run the systems needed to maintain animal diets, the manatee critical care center and aquatic habitats.
“All 1,000 animals entrusted in our care are doing well,” the statement read.
Once power is back on, zoo leaders plan to conduct the second phase of assessments, which includes reestablishing the computer network and testing operational systems before determining a reopening date.
“We are grateful to the dedicated team members and contractors who have started clean-up and recovery efforts at ZooTampa and those who continue to provide care to the animals,” the zoo said. “We recognize that this is a challenging period for the entire Tampa Bay community. Our heartfelt thoughts are with our fellow Floridians impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.”
When Hurricane Helene made landfall, ZooTampa moved all of their animals to stormproof shelters.
In May, ZooTampa was recognized as, “Storm Ready” by the National Weather Service; the fourth zoo in the United States to receive that designation.