Prospect Park Zoo is gearing up to welcome back visitors after being shuttered for nearly eight months due to severe flood damage incurred during a record-setting rainstorm last September.
The Wildlife Conservation Society made the announcement social media on Wednesday, saying it’s looking forward to welcoming visitors back “later this spring.” An official reopening date is expected to be disclosed next week.
Fortunately, none of the 400 or so animals who call Prospect Park home were harmed by the flooding. However, the Sept. 29 torrential rainstorm did cause millions of dollars worth of damage.
The torrential downpour filled the zoo’s basements with up to 25 feet of water and badly damaged its boilers, HVAC and electrical equipment, and aquatic life support system.
After announcing the indefinite closure of the zoo back in October, Craig Piper, vice president of City Zoos for the Wildlife Conservation Society, said the restorations will include measures to protect the zoo and its critical equipment from future extreme weather events.
“We plan to restore Prospect Park Zoo and its critical infrastructure in ways that will prevent future flooding of our facilities,” Piper said previously. “Prospect Park Zoo suffered significant damage during storms Henri and Ida two years ago and we expect these extreme weather patterns will continue in the future due to climate change.”
