Apr 25, 2009 9:00 am US/Eastern
Cash-Strapped Bronx Zoo Lays Off Animals
by JOSH LANDIS, CBS 2 News
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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A Siberian tiger looks out from behind a tree at the Bronx Zoo in New York.
AP
For the two million people who visit the Bronx Zoo each year, the view is about to change.
A bunch of animals are getting fired!
If these animals could talk, they would have something to say, because their days at the zoo are numbered.
"We had decisions that needed to be made about old exhibits, and at the same time we needed to deal with the fiscal reality which is upon us," John Cavalli, of the Wildlife Conservation Society, says.
$15 million in budget cuts means the Bronx Zoo's Formosan deer, Arabian onyx, bats, porcupines and all the animals in the famed "World of Darkness" exhibit are going away.
"I think it's something the community, and the state, will be missing out on," zoo visitor Sue Waters says.
The zoo's South American guanaco survived the Wild Kingdom, but their future in this economy is less certain. They're among the animals at the zoo about to get a pink slip.
The Wildlife Conservation Society, which runs the Bronx Zoo, has been trying to pressure politicians with a scathing advertisement.
New York City's four zoos, and the New York Aquarium, are all affected.
But even with cuts, there are plans for new exhibits and a children's safari.
But the kids have their own take.
"I would be unhappy and mad [if the animals weren't here anymore]," Brandon Berkowitz said.
"If the animals go back home, that means they can say 'hi' back to their friends," Ariana Sandoval said.
Parents, too, worry about the ramifications the cuts will have on their children's future visits to the zoo.
"Some of these kids, it's the only opportunity to see some of these animals," parent Cathy Will says. "If they have to remove some of them, they wouldn't have the opportunity to see them."
The lions and their new cub, the snow leopards, and the penguins are safe – for now.
But budget cuts might explain why the bears are on their best behavior.
One thing the budget crunch hasn't affected, thankfully, is the zoo's Open Admission days. You can check out the animals every Wednesday for free.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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