Flood
Serengeti Park Emergency Evacuation Plan
Areas of Serengeti Park are partially flooded with water. The first animals have been evacuated. photo
© Philipp Schulze/dpa
The flooding in Lower Saxony not only threatens people, but also animals. In the partially flooded Serengeti Park in Hodenhagen, helpers are preparing for evacuations.
With an emergency plan, the Serengeti Park Hodenhagen is preparing for further evacuations of animals due to the flood. The house of antelopes and giraffes, which is surrounded by water, is particularly worrying, said a spokeswoman for the zoo north of Hanover on Friday. “These animals would have to be anesthetized for evacuation, which is a big risk.” In the event of an emergency, consideration is also being given to how the animals could be transported through the water masses under anesthesia. The roads there are no longer accessible 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) set up another water pump there during the night. The water around the stable has recently fallen by three centimeters, and there is also less water in the house itself. Zoo employees had recently spread straw on the ground to stop the water from penetrating.
The electricity on the site had to be switched off
On Thursday, zookeepers and the THW rescued three hussar monkeys from their enclosure. They could only reach the house on foot. “The water was waist high,” said the zoo’s spokeswoman. They caught the animals and carried them one by one through the water in large plastic boxes. Lemurs, ruffed lemurs, prairie dogs and meerkats had previously been evacuated and moved to other stables on the site.
According to the park, large parts of the area are flooded and in some cases cannot be reached at all or can only be reached with Unimogs or tractors. In the northeast of the site, administration and supply buildings, restaurants, shops and some of the lodges are surrounded by water. “Fortunately, the fewest animals are housed there,” said the spokeswoman.
The electricity had to be turned off for 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 put up temporary dams to secure the animals’ stables. “We sincerely hope that the dams will hold the water masses,” said the spokeswoman.
The river Meiße, which has overflowed its banks, borders the zoo. In addition, there are several watercourses and lakes on the site that have overflowed due to the high groundwater. Lions, rhinos, tigers and elephants, among others, live in the park.