Hersheypark zookeepers euthanize two bison trapped by flooding

HARRISBURG - Rather than let the animals drown in Tropical Storm Lee's rapidly rising floodwaters, zookeepers at Hersheypark's ZooAmerica shot their two beloved American bison to death - and prompted howls of anger across cyberspace.

ZooAmerica said in a statement that "unprecedented flooding" trapped the 2,000-pound animals in their pen Wednesday night, while keepers were able to evacuate other zoo inhabitants.

"Unfortunately, no one could anticipate a weather event that went from inches of rain to feet of flooding in a matter of a few short minutes," the zoo said in its statement. "Faced with the prospect of watching the extended suffering of the bison and their eventual death due to drowning, the zoo staff chose the most humane path possible and euthanized the bison."

That explanation did not sit well with commenters on websites across central Pennsylvania - some of whom remembered seeing the bison as children or decried the loss of two majestic symbols of the American West.

Some asked why the zoo, which said it had two days' notice to prepare, had not tried to relocate the bison sooner.

By Thursday evening, a Facebook page, "Remembering the ZooAmerica Bison," had popped up, with 2,200 visitors "liking" it, along with numerous postings second-guessing the zoo's actions.

A zoo spokeswoman said the depth and speed of the waters from Spring Creek overwhelmed zookeepers as they tried to take as many as 200 animals to higher ground.

"We had a plan and we put it in effect, but the circumstances were beyond anything that we had ever seen," said Mindy Bianca, public relations director for Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Co.

She said all the zoo's other animals were accounted for.

Bison, commonly known as buffalo, were hunted to near-extinction in the 19th century, leaving fewer than 1,000 still alive in 1900. Prolonged conservation efforts helped rescue the bison herds, which now number roughly 200,000 and inhabit private ranches, wildlife refuges, national parks, and tribal lands.

David Grazian, a University of Pennsylvania sociologist who is writing a book on zoos, said facilities like ZooAmerica go through a rigorous accreditation process.

"The animals get the best possible care," said Grazian. "I've visited zoos across the country, and the people who work [at accredited zoos] are the most caring people I have ever met."

ZooAmerica, whose animals represent 60 different North American species, from martens to mountain lions, sits next to the Hersheypark theme park, which also experienced flooding that left many rides under water.

Word of the bisons' fate spread rapidly among other animal keepers. On an island in the Susquehanna River, the owner of a horse carriage company was taking no chances with his animals.

With water already six feet deep on the infield of the Harrisburg Senators' stadium next door, Fred Lanke, owner of Harrisburg Carriage Co., was hustling to get his six horses onto trailers to flee the island. The worst of the flooding was expected to reach the area Friday night.

As he nudged Guinness, a 17-year-old Standardbred, onto a trailer, Lanke said, "I'll err on the side of caution after what happened to the bison at Hersheypark."

He said it was the first time in 29 years of operation that his company had to relocate horses to spare them from a flood.

"There's no sense stressing out the livestock," he said, staring out the barn door at the rain pummeling the island for a fourth day. "This was a safe haven."