Floods in Lower Saxony
Serengeti Park Hodenhagen flooded – employees have to evacuate the first animals
The floods hit the Serengeti Park Hodenhagen hard
© Serengeti Park Hodenhagen / DPA
While the flood situation is easing in parts of Germany, the land is submerged in some regions of Lower Saxony. This also applies to the Serengeti Park in Hodenhagen, where the giraffes are already getting their feet wet.
The first animals in the Serengeti Park in Hodenhagen, Lower Saxony, were evacuated because of the flooding. Water got into some stables on the jungle safari with more than 200 monkeys, a spokeswoman said on Thursday. Lemurs, ruffed lemurs, prairie dogs and meerkats had to leave their enclosures and are now housed elsewhere on the site north of Hanover. Lower Saxony Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD) and the SPD federal chairman Lars Klingbeil took a look at the situation in the zoo on Thursday.
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. “The water masses have risen overnight, which we find very worrying,” said the zoo’s spokeswoman.
Flooding in the zoo continues to rise
The situation is particularly critical at the Masai-Mara lodges; in addition to huts for overnight stays, there are antelopes there Giraffes. Even then, water had already penetrated into the stables. “The water is currently still below the edge of the hoof, so we’re filling it up with straw,” said the spokeswoman. In an emergency, the huge animals would have to be evacuated. “You have to think carefully about moving a giraffe. It’s not entirely safe.”
The electricity had to be temporarily 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.
Christmas floods
The flood situation is easing to some extent – the risk of heavy rain is increasing again
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.