In the wake of Hurricane Laura, the Fort Worth Zoo has dispatched a relief squad to help animal friends in need.
On Friday, a group of zoo employees traveled to the Louisiana Purchase Gardens & Zoo in Monroe, Louisiana, one of the animal facilities that sustained significant damage due to Hurricane Laura. The Fort Worth Zoo is transporting a UTV, trailers, chainsaws, and other equipment to assist with removing downed trees and debris, as well as repairing some facilities.
The group is part of the Zoological Disaster Response, Rescue and Recovery (ZDR3) team, which is made up of several zoos and wildlife facilities in Texas and surrounding states. ZDR3 was initially created in 2017 to help animal facilities affected by Hurricane Harvey. The group's headquarters is at the Fort Worth Zoo.
“The function of ZDR3 is to funnel all disaster relief calls for help to one central command center. The command center will then coordinate with participating institutions the relief needs of the damaged facility,” Fort Worth Zoo executive director Michael Fouraker said in a statement. “This coordinated effort will assist the facility-in-need with manpower, equipment, and additional resources as needed.”
According to a news release, the zoo plans to assess the damage at the facility and send additional help if needed.
