A sea lion was able to temporarily escape its habitat at the Central Park Zoo on Friday in the wake of flooding that hit New York City on Friday.
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Heavy rainfall led to rain accumulations of more than 20 centimeters in places.
Under these conditions, a sea lion managed to escape from its habitat, the Wildlife Conservation Society confirmed in a press release.
“A female sea lion at the Central Park Zoo was able to swim out of her pool because the public square in New York City was flooded by heavy rain,” it said.
However, the animal was able to return to its tank on its own.
“Zoo workers followed the sea lion’s development as it explored the environment before returning on its own to more familiar surroundings,” it said. There was no danger to staff or visitors and the sea lion remained within the zoo’s boundaries.”
A video purporting to show sea lions fleeing the zoo circulated widely on social media Saturday, but is believed to be misleading, according to the New York Police Department (NYPD).
“These videos are misleading and inaccurate,” the NYPD said on X (formerly Twitter). All sea lions and other animals are present in the area around the zoo.”
🚨 ZOO UPDATE:
There are several videos circulating online about floods and escaped zoo animals. These videos are misleading and inaccurate.All sea lions and animals are registered here and are safe @centralparkzoo. Due to heavy rain and flooding, the zoo remains closed. pic.twitter.com/g9RCADJDG8
— NYPD Central Park (@NYPDCentralPark) September 29, 2023
The Wildlife Conservation Society adds that staff will continue to monitor the situation during this extreme weather event.