AP News, May 27th, 2007
Bison were being rescued by boat and birds were searching for dry spots to perch as officials worked Sunday to clean up after flooding at the Hutchinson Zoo.
The zoo has been closed since Thursday after more than 7 inches of rain fell Wednesday night. The heavy rain flooded a pond at a park just outside the zoo. About 25 animals were evacuated.
"I'm hoping that within a couple of weeks we can be back in business," said Zoo Director Charlotte Poepperling.
The zoo's water-loving otters remained in their soggy exhibit, but staff had to wear rubber boots to reach them. A tunnel designed to give children a closer look at the zoo's prairie dogs was filled with water.
Zoo personnel are using boats to get to bison congregating in a dry spot in their enclosure, Poepperling said. Workers were able to pump water from a birds of prey exhibit and the birds perched in dry areas.
In Killeen, Texas, two men whose vehicles were swept away by rising flood waters were presumed dead, which would bring the death toll from the flooding there to seven.
Edgar Garcia, 22, disappeared three days earlier near Fredricksburg when the current swept away his sport utility vehicle. Authorities suspended their search for 50-year-old Scottie Gjedrem late Saturday, saying there was nowhere left to search. Gjedrem was moving his friend's sports car Thursday night when water from a nearby swollen creek swept it away, Killeen police said.
Much of central Texas remained under a flash flood warning through Sunday night. Parts of north Texas were under a flash flood watch until Monday afternoon.
