ROANOKE, Va. – This month’s brutal winter storms hit the Roanoke area hard, leaving nonprofits like the Mill Mountain Zoo to contend with severe damage. As the zoo works to repair the destruction, it is calling on the community for support.
Since February 13th, the zoo has been closed to visitors due to the major winter weather event that hit the region. “This weather event was unprecedented for the zoo. We’ve never seen this much damage,” said Niki Voudren, executive director of Mill Mountain Zoo.
Multiple trees fell all over the zoo grounds with a large tree that fell during the storm, crushing a red wolf den box. Fortunately, no animals were hurt.
As a result of the damage, the red wolves were moved to a new enclosure. “So, our bear is currently in hibernation, which opens up a space for the red wolves who would be in the enclosure behind you. We are so grateful that no animals were injured or even hurt, and all are still here at the zoo, they’re home,” Voudren explained.
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The storm also brought down trees, blocking roads that lead to the zoo. “Zoo staff attempted to come to work, come to the zoo to see how the grounds were and see if the animals were okay. We were met with about 20 trees down starting at the bottom of Fishburn Parkway. So, we did what we do, we hiked up the mountain and climbed over the trees and got into the zoo to take care of the animals,” Voudren recalled.
Inside the zoo, the damage is extensive and will take time—and money—to repair. “As a non-profit organization that relies heavily on our revenue streams, which is guest admissions, we have to stay closed right now until we can get the zoo safe and cleaned up properly for our visitors,” said Voudren.
The zoo is now reaching out to the community for help. “In addition to a lofty insurance claim, insurance companies will remove trees on structures, but they will not remove trees out of zoo grounds, so we are going to be experiencing a lot of unexpected expenses relating to getting the trees safely off grounds,” Voudren said.
Despite the setbacks, zoo officials are eager to welcome guests back as soon as possible. For now, they are asking for the community’s help in restoring the zoo to its full operation. To support the zoo’s recovery efforts, visit Mill Mountain Zoo’s GoFundMe.
