Boston Zoo May Close, Euthanize Hundreds of Animals

[SalemWitchChild]

Boston Zoo May Close, Euthanize Hundreds of Animals

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Boston Zoo May Close, Euthanize Hundreds of Animals - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com


The Franklin Park Zoo, a Boston landmark for nearly a century, may be forced to close and euthanize up to a fifth of the animals in its care due to devastating budget cuts.
New England's largest zoo and its counterpart, the Stoneham Zoo, saw their state funding cut from $6.5 million to $2.5 million by Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, the Boston Globe reported, and expects to run out of money by October.
Zoo officials said they would have to lay off most of their 165 employees and find new homes for the more than 1,000 animals they currently house, the Globe reported. Those they cannot relocate — at least 20 percent, officials estimate — may have to be destroyed.

 

[~Tucker&Me~]

How awful!

 

[SalemWitchChild]

A friend just found this for me. Thats what I get for posting something from fox news.

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Zoo New England

From the Zoo themselves:
Learn the whole story! We received a lot of questions indicating that many people are confused as to details of this situation. There are two key points we would like everyone to keep in mind as this public discussion continues:


There are no plans for the Zoo to euthanize any animals in the collection as a result of the budget cuts.
Failing to over-ride the governor's veto is projected to cost the state more than twice the supposed $4 million “savings” in direct FY10 expenses.

 

[LindaJD]

Don't blame Fox News on this one. It was reported on a lot of stations and newspapers around here. Seems like the zoo got a lot of backlash and is now trying to back pedal. they are angry funding was cut, like everyone else in this state is angry funding is getting cut and our taxes are just getting higher and higher.
This is from Zoo New England.

"Depopulating the animal collection. It is believed that a minimum of 20% of the animals would not be able to be placed, requiring either destroying them or the care of the animals in perpetuity."

I have been to both Zoo's and while the one in Boston is a pretty good Zoo, I can't see how the one in Stoneham is making any money. It is too small I don't see why they don't just close it and move the animals to the boston one. When I was a kid, it was a regular zoo, but since then I can't see how it has stayed open and made any money.

 

[FoxyWench]

beardsley zoo here in ct is in the same boat, unfortunatly alot of small zoos wil be on the chopping block if something isnt sorted soon...
its a shame, even the small zoos do so much good when done right.

 

[smkie]

OUr zoo has more landscape than animals any more. ALot of what was there when i worked there is gone. I would think there would be no reason to euth anything. Surely there are enough private collectors out there that could give a nice retirement to many of these. SO i don't get it.

 

[Romy]

OUr zoo has more landscape than animals any more. ALot of what was there when i worked there is gone. I would think there would be no reason to euth anything. Surely there are enough private collectors out there that could give a nice retirement to many of these. SO i don't get it.

The problem with the private collectors is that blanket bans on exotics in so many states now. Many of those private folks have had their own animals confiscated and euthanized.

I remember one woman in Oregon a few years ago who had four ocelots. The state got their hands on them and euthanized them within a week with no attempt to place them.

 

[Goldie57]

Even good zoos have to work hard to stay open and take good care of their animals. Our Columbus (OH) zoo is now the largest one in the U.S., but it didn't get that way by accident. Director Jack Hanna (now Director Emeritus) has worked hard since the 1970s to make it happen, with lots of fundraising appeals, great PR, getting media exposure whenever possible, and securing lots of private funding through "Friends of the Zoo" donations and family memberships.

In these "crunch" times, it's tough to make a go of anything. And relying on public funding is often suicide. You just never know when budgets will be cut, and what's next on the chopping block.

 

[LindaJD]

I was just talking to someone who just got back from visiting that zoo. They said it was the best one they have ever seen. She was really impressed.

 

[Goldie57]

Yeah, we're really proud of our zoo. But it's not as much fun visiting other zoos now--once you've seen the best! It's always fun watching animals' antics anywhere, though.