Sea lion escapes Central Park Zoo amid New York City flooding

A sea lion was able to temporarily escape the confines of its habitat at the Central Park Zoo on Friday in the wake of flooding that hit New York City.

• Read also: IN PICTURES | New York flooded and partly paralyzed by torrential rains

• Read also: New York floods force postponement of NHL and MLB games

Heavy precipitation led to accumulations of more than 20 centimeters of rain in places.

It is under these conditions that a sea lion was able to escape from its habitat, confirms the Wildlife Conservation Society in a press release.

“A female sea lion at the Central Park Zoo was able to swim out of her pool due to flooding of the public square caused by heavy rain in New York City,” it says.

However, the animal was able to return to its pool on its own.

“Zoo workers followed the evolution of the sea lion as it explored the surroundings before it returned to more familiar surroundings on its own,” it added. No employees or visitors were in danger and the sea lion remained within the confines of the zoo.”

A video showing sea lions supposedly on the run outside the zoo circulated widely on social media on Saturday, but is believed to be misleading according to the New York Police Department (NYPD).

“These videos are misleading and erroneous,” says the NYPD on X (formerly Twitter). All the sea lions and other animals are present within the perimeter of the zoo.”

🚨 ZOO UPDATE:
There are several videos circulating online about flooding & escaped zoo animals. These videos are misleading & inaccurate.

All sea lions & animals are accounted for & safe at the @centralparkzoo. The zoo remains closed due to the heavy rain & flooding. pic.twitter.com/g9RCADJDG8

— NYPD Central Park (@NYPDCentralPark) September 29, 2023

The Wildlife Conservation Society adds that staff will continue to monitor the situation throughout this extreme weather event.

2023-09-30 15:18:29


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