Bangkok Zoo Safari World closed by flooding

Bangkok's Safari World has been closed by the floodwaters that are swamping the city.
Proprietors at Safari World shut down the attraction on Thursday after authorities opened a flood gate at a nearby canal following demonstrations by local residents, causing the zoo's flooding defenses to be overwhelmed.
The animals inside the facility are not currently at risk but the situation has forced officials at the 500-acre complex to try to find dry ground for the lions, tigers, zebras, giraffes and other animals that roam there.
A report in the Wall Street Journal said that tlevision footage show giraffes wading in water hoof-deep, and a rhinoceros looking confused at metre-high waters surrounding it.
Safari World is the second Bangkok animal park to come under threat in recent weeks, after the city's popular Dusit Zoo was forced to relocate some of its animals when floodwaters got too close. Safari World is in a particularly vulnerable place, east of Bangkok's shuttered Don Muang airport in an area of the city that has faced serious, ongoing flooding.
Safari World is one of a growing number of tourist destinations that have been forced to close or curtail offerings because of Thailand's worst flooding in decades. Although tour operators stress that many central and tourist areas in Bangkok remain untouched by the waters, a growing number of tourist sites have had no choice but to shut down temporarily.
Safari World, which is listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand, is especially popular with foreign tourists, with its feeding shows, 'safari park' car tours, and marine shows. The facility also includes some boxing orangutans, a 'jungle' cruise and a 'Hollywood Cowboy Stunt Show'.
Safari World Executive Vice President Litti Kewkacha told Southeast Asia Real Time that parts of the complex have been hit by knee-high water, but staff have pushed the animals farther inside the zoo onto higher ground. The animals are now occupying separate zones designed to eliminate the potential for scuffles ï¾ or worse ï¾ between the creatures.
Kewkacha said zoo staff are mostly concerned about the "most precious" animals, such as the giraffes, which are not as accustomed to water as other beasts.

However, Kewkacha suggested that other animals, like buffaloes and zebras, are "okay" with the water, adding that rhinoceroses are also not perturbed by the floodwaters, he said.

The attraction's major concern would be if the floodwaters don't drain in the coming days and weeks, leaving Safari World closed for a long stretch.

Nevertheless, Kewkacha states "we're not evacuating," an evacuation being likely to present more challenges than staying.

"We have thousands of wild animals, and a big truck can only take five or six giraffes at time."

Finding a place for the animals would be another issue, Kewkacha adds, "where would you find 500 acres of healthy soil, electricity, staff, medical facilities? It's not feasible."

The zoo's marine facilities ï¾ which house more than 60,000 fish, as well as dolphins and beluga whales ï¾ are so far unaffected, as they are located on higher ground.

Kewkacha adds "at this moment it's still dry ï¾ but we're not taking any chances because there are machines there worth 300 million baht (US$10 million) and we can't put a value on the dolphins."

The Zoo is planning to re-open on 10th November but Kewkacha concludes that currently "it's really day-to-day."

http://www.safariworld.com/