It’s official: the Wildlife Conservation Society announced that Prospect Park Zoo is closed indefinitely following damage that occurred as a result of tropical storm Ophelia late last month.
As first reported by Gothamist, the rain filled the basement of two of the zoo’s buildings with 25 feet of water, greatly damaging power and heating systems.
The WCS said the zoo has been operational since that damage thanks to generators. Repairs are already underway and all of the water has been pumped out, though the extent of the damage is unclear.
“There has been millions of dollars of damage to the Prospect Park Zoo,” said Craig Piper, the vice president of city zoos for the WCS. “As we move from triage to restoration of the facilities, we will continue to assess when we will reopen to the public.”
As for the 400 or so animals at the zoo, a spokesperson for the park said that none of them were impacted and thus do not need to be moved.
The zoo is using this opportunity to rebuild its structures, all while considering climate change. There are no estimates as to a new opening.
