ALEXANDRIA, La. — The Alexandria Zoological Park is asking for donations from the public to help them rebuild and reopen the facility after it suffered severe damage after Hurricane Laura swept through Rapides Parish last week.
According to a post on the Alexandria Zoological Park's Facebook page, all of the zoo's living creatures including animals and staff made it through the storm safely but the park's landscape was not so lucky.
The post states that strong winds from the storm snapped, twisted and toppled more than 50 mature trees across the zoo's campus.
"The damage affected more than 20 animal habitats, countless fences, several roofs and completely blocked passage of most of the trails," the post states. "No area of the zoo escaped damage. The worst path of devastation stretched in a line from the playground to the cougar habitat, tumbling trees like dominoes and sparing no habitat in its wake."
The zoo adds that they are getting help form personnell from the Audubon Zoo, Baton Rouge Zoo, Fort Worth Zoo, and Animal World in Texas to assist staff with clean-up and repairs.
The zoo will be temporarily closed until it is safe to welcome guests again.
Donations to the zoo can be made through PayPal at https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/2152355.
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