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Prospect Park Zoo will reopen Memorial Day weekend, months after flood damage
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Published May 14, 2024
Modified May 14, 2024
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Julie Larsen Maher/Prospect Park Zoo
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Published May 14, 2024
Modified May 14, 2024
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The Prospect Park Zoo will reopen its doors to the public starting Memorial Day weekend, eight months after heavy flooding from Tropical Storm Ophelia wrecked critical infrastructure.
The reopening date is Saturday, May 25 — 239 days since the storm filled the zoo’s basements with as much as 25 feet of water, damaging electrical, HVAC and boiler systems. The non-profit operator of the zoo, the Wildlife Conservation Society, said it spent about $6.5 million to reopen the 12-acre space. But repairs are not complete at the zoo, where a few new animals will be on display. The full restoration costs, including protections against future flooding, are projected to be $20 million.
In the aftermath of the flood, viewing galleries for zoo exhibits were transformed into staging grounds for repair crews.
Scott Heins for Gothamist
“While this reopening of Prospect Park Zoo is a major milestone, we have a long way to go before the zoo is fully restored,” Wildlife Conservation Society Vice President Craig Piper said. “Throughout our temporary closure, many New Yorkers shared how important this beloved zoo is to the Brooklyn community and to all throughout the city. We look forward to welcoming guests again to Prospect Park Zoo.”
On Tuesday morning, zookeepers made their rounds feeding the animals and tending to their habitats, while contractors repaired floors and walls near a fish aquarium.
Some of the 10 male peacocks roaming around the zoo pranced among staffers, ruffling their feathers and crowing loudly.
The zoo's dingoes weathered the storm without any problems.
Ramsey Khalifeh
None of the zoo’s more than 400 animals, including red pandas, sea lions and tamarin monkeys, were harmed during the storm. Returning visitors will notice some new animals: two southern pudu — one of the world’s smallest deer species, which are native to Chile — and a female Hamadryas baboon were born during the zoo’s closure.
In January, President Joe Biden signed a disaster declaration, unlocking federal funding to help with storm repairs around New York, including at the zoo.
The Sept. 29 downpour dumped as much as 8.7 inches of rain over a 24-hour period, shutting down subway lines and flooding major thoroughfares and homes. A city comptroller report estimated the storm caused $100 million in total economic losses to the metro region.
Tropical storm Ophelia completely inundated a zoo basement that went down two flights of stairs.
Courtesy of Prospect Park Zoo
At the zoo, much of the repairs have centered on restoring the electrical grid. Workers relocated the primary electrical room from a basement to the ground level. Piper said a basement room containing heating equipment was “completely submerged.”
Visitors to the zoo will notice some new animals: two southern pudu — one of the world’s smallest deer species, which are native to Chile — and a female Hamadryas baboon were born during the zoo’s closure.
The conservation society said no zoo staff were laid off during the extended closure.
Wildlife Conservation Society Vice President Craig Piper stands in a basement of the zoo that was submerged during the storm.
Ramsey Khalifeh
The zoo will continue its operations with a temporary boiler for the next few years, according to Piper, until they can find a site for the heating system that isn’t prone to flooding.
Standing in the main atrium of the “Animal Lifestyles” building where contractors continued their work, Piper noted that in every building of the zoo, workers had to remove entire walls due to water damage and possible mold. The ground floors of each building were flooded with one to two feet of water.
Outside the building wings, Craig Gibbs, the zoo’s assistant curator of animals for the conservation society, walked along a trail featuring red pandas, porcupines and other animals in outdoor enclosures.
Along a boardwalk over a lake, black swans and turtles basked in the morning sun. Gibbs said the entire body of water was flooded with water from Prospect Park.
“We did a lot of pumping,” Gibbs said. “At one point, water was coming up through our drains because it was backlogged.”
This story has been updated with new information.
Tagged
environment
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brooklyn
Ramsey Khalifeh
Ramsey Khalifeh is a transportation reporter on the NYC Accountability desk covering the largest transit system in the country. He was previously a general assignment reporter at Gothamist and worked on the Boston Globe's metro and copy desk. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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