Chehaw
Hurricane Michael 2018
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The Park, and especially Zoo, suffered major damage from Hurricane Michael which swept through South Georgia on October 10 as a Category 3 hurricane. Staff were able to successfully move all animals to safety before the storm, ensuring that NO animals were lost or injured. However, like much of the Albany area, there is widespread, massive, and incalculable damage throughout the Zoo. It will be many months and years before Chehaw can recover. Operations and business as normal came to a screeching halt as the focus switched to cleanup efforts. Park staff had to focus on making sure scheduled events continued as planned to keep some revenue coming into the Park.
The animals are safe, but many of their homes are completely destroyed. While part of the the Zoo is now open at a deeply discounted price on the weekends, it will be some time before all exhibits are restored and the Zoo can be open as normal. Keeping animals in alternate holding areas actually increases the cost of their care because keepers must ensure that they are sufficiently enriched both physically and mentally. A difficult decision had to be made to cancel Festival of Lights. This highly successful event provided vital income during the slowest part of the year. That revenue will not be coming to the Park this year. Several Zoo exhibits will need to be completely rebuilt. The cost of rebuilding the Zoo is estimated to be somewhere between $2-5 million. Staff is diligently working with volunteers and various agencies to make this happen. In the meantime, the animals must still be fed.
While Chehaw's main priority is to ensure that all of its animals are taken care of at the highest possible standard, the financial burden is immense without a steady stream of revenue from budgeted attendance and events.
For example, the cost of direct care for some of Chehaw's animals for only ONE DAY is probably higher than most realize:
Two Rhinos (Sam and Dubya): $100/day or $36,500/year
Four Cheetahs (Ellie, Rhaegal, Viserion, Drogon) $80/day or $29,200/year
Two Camels (Bogart and Audrey): $45/day or $16,425/year
Lemur Troop: $70/day or $25,550/year
This cost includes things like various forms of coastal hay, peanut hay, alfalfa cubes, fresh produce, specialized grains and meat, necessary supplements, training rewards, additional heat or A/C, and zookeeper care. This does not include things like additional veterinary care, medications, vehicle maintenance, gas, etc.
Caring for over 240 animals in the Zoo EVERY DAY can quickly become overwhelming. Please consider helping Chehaw with their immediate animal care needs while they work to rebuild the Park and Zoo that we all know and love.
Albany Herald: Chehaw Faces Long Recovery from Hurricane Michael