N.O. zoo remains home to Ike’s animal evacuees
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NEW ORLEANS — Four months have passed since 12 exotic ducks arrived at the Audubon Zoo — joining a Noah’s list of evacuees that fled the Texas coast during Hurricane Ike.
Along with a pair of venomous McGregor’s pit vipers, two South American tegus lizards, and 11 Southern stingrays, the displaced ducks remain housed in New Orleans, following separate rescues from flood-damaged Moody Gardens Zoo at Galveston Island, Texas, and saltwater fish tanks at a Houston area restaurant, according to Audubon officials.
“All the creatures from Texas are still with us and will be indefinitely,” Audubon Institute spokeswoman Sarah Burnette said Thursday.
Ike’s refugees have not strained Audubon’s budget or staff, she said.
Moody’s spokeswoman Jerri Hamachek said the Galveston zoo has reopened for visitors, but the Rainforest Pyramid habitat of the Ike evacuees, remains closed for renovations until 2010.
“We’re still recovering, so it’s premature to say what animals will be in which exhibits,” Hamachek said.
Lee Schoen, Audubon’s curator of birds, said it may be difficult for zoo visitors to identify the Moody ducks.
“We mixed them in with the existing Audubon duck collection,” Schoen said.
The tegus lizards, whose tails grow up to 5 feet long, are on view at the Jaguar Jungle area. The pit vipers and stingrays are not on exhibit.
Audubon has about 1,500 animals at the zoo and 1,000 fish at the Aquarium, Burnette said.
Along with a pair of venomous McGregor’s pit vipers, two South American tegus lizards, and 11 Southern stingrays, the displaced ducks remain housed in New Orleans, following separate rescues from flood-damaged Moody Gardens Zoo at Galveston Island, Texas, and saltwater fish tanks at a Houston area restaurant, according to Audubon officials.
“All the creatures from Texas are still with us and will be indefinitely,” Audubon Institute spokeswoman Sarah Burnette said Thursday.
Ike’s refugees have not strained Audubon’s budget or staff, she said.
Moody’s spokeswoman Jerri Hamachek said the Galveston zoo has reopened for visitors, but the Rainforest Pyramid habitat of the Ike evacuees, remains closed for renovations until 2010.
“We’re still recovering, so it’s premature to say what animals will be in which exhibits,” Hamachek said.
Lee Schoen, Audubon’s curator of birds, said it may be difficult for zoo visitors to identify the Moody ducks.
“We mixed them in with the existing Audubon duck collection,” Schoen said.
The tegus lizards, whose tails grow up to 5 feet long, are on view at the Jaguar Jungle area. The pit vipers and stingrays are not on exhibit.
Audubon has about 1,500 animals at the zoo and 1,000 fish at the Aquarium, Burnette said.
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