Approximately 12 animals — including a chimpanzee, monkeys and lemurs — have died at a San Antonio primate sanctuary after winter storms cut off heat and electricity amid plunging temperatures in Texas.
Primarily Primates, a nonprofit sanctuary in Bexar County, said in a Wednesday statement that it lost power early Monday morning during the “historic freeze,” which is also blamed in the deaths of at least 20 people.
Single-digit temperatures were recorded in San Antonio, and the average has been hovering around 28 degrees.
The historic freeze in Tx has taken a toll, + we thank all volunteers, staff + donors for efforts that have evacuated many doz. of animals and kept others, includ. 32 chimps, baboons, monkeys + lemurs in heated bedrooms. Approx. 12 lives lost.
— Primarily Primates (@primate_refuge) February 17, 2021
Staff at the 70-acre sanctuary initially attempted to use generators, space heaters, propane tanks and blankets to keep the animals warm.
Brooke Chavez, executive director of Primarily Primates, told The San Antonio Express-News that they decided later Monday evening to begin evacuating animals. Some were sent to the San Antonio Zoo and to another sanctuary near Oklahoma.
“I’ve never faced a decision like this,” said Chavez. “Having to decide who we can save, depending on the predictability of which animals we can catch.”
As they began rounding up animals for transport, they discovered several had already died.
“I never, ever thought my office would turn into a morgue, but it has,” Chavez told the Express-News on Tuesday. “Someone asked me how many animals have died. I don’t know yet.”
Primarily Primates was the first primate sanctuary founded in North America. The facility holds more than 300 animals, mostly ones that were abused or exploited for research or entertainment purposes.
……..
- Discussion
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.