(NewsNation) — Florida residents aren’t the only ones bracing for Hurricane Milton — penguins, flamingos, rhinos and other Zoo animals across the must also find shelter to weather the storm.
Ron Magill, director of communications for Zoo Miami, joined “Morning in America” on Wednesday to explain how those decisions are made and which animals, if any, zoo staff may evacuate.
Milton’s intensity has gone back and forth throughout the week. It’s expected to make landfall either Wednesday night or Thursday morning as a Category 5 hurricane, according to National Hurricane Center forecasts.
“I’m deeply worried,” Magill said. “When you talk about Tampa Zoo, the Florida aquarium — these are places that are so exposed right now to this monstrous storm. Having lived through Andrew and Wilma here in Miami when we were devastated by those storms, I can only just imagine what’s going to happen up there.”
The storm’s high winds and surging water could put smaller animals who are usually in outdoor settings at the greatest risk. Aquariums also face potential challenges. The hurricane could disable tank filtration systems, which Magill called the “life-support” for fish and other aquatic animals.
“A misconception people have about zoos and aquariums is that we evacuate animals (and) that we send them to another location,” Magill said. “That rarely — if ever — happens. What we do in zoos and aquariums is we take the more susceptible animals like birds and smaller mammals and we will take them and put them in small sky kennels, like what you transport them in on an airplane, and then put those kennels in fortified buildings within the zoo property.”
“When you move animals, the stress you put on them sometimes is more dangerous than the storm itself,” Magill said.
The animals won’t be left alone. All accredited zoos have a team that stays on the grounds 24/7, Magill said. Some attractions like Zoo Miami also have what’s called a lethal response team — a group that, armed with rifles, would sweep the park after the storm to make sure every animal is where it should be, Magill said.
“The No. 1 priority is safety for the public by ensuring that these animals are still secure and then afterwards, clearing a way to get to them to take care of them,” he said.