npr:When you’re building a zoo disaster plan, there’s one thing to keep in mind: Murphy’s law. Anyth
npr:When you’re building a zoo disaster plan, there’s one thing to keep in mind: Murphy’s law. Anything that could go wrong, will.Just ask the flock of flamingos who weathered 1992’s Hurricane Andrew in a public restroom at Zoo Miami.Or, you could ask the zoo personnel across the coast who’ve been running emergency drills since the start of hurricane season.The Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which represents more than 230 animal care facilities in the U.S. and abroad, requires all of its members to practice an annual disaster preparedness drill to keep their accreditation. And many facilities review or update their protocols every year, including Zoo Miami, which is now buckling down as Hurricane Irma approaches Florida.Flamingos In The Men’s Room: How Zoos And Aquariums Handle HurricanesPhoto: Max Trujillo/Getty ImagesCaption: More than 50 Caribbean flamingos take shelter in a men’s room at the Miami Metrozoo (now Zoo Miami) on Sept. 25, 1998. Zookeepers rounded up the birds to protect them from the effects of Hurricane Georges. -- source link