Belvidere Zoo Ravaged By Tornado, Two Animals Killed
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A zoo in Belvidere, Illinois, took a direct hit from one of the two tornadoes that touched down in north central Illinois on Thursday, sending animals scattering, and killing at least two.
The twister took out perimeter fences, sheds, shelters, and a portion of a barn roof at Summerfield Zoo, according to volunteer coordinator Danielle Anderson.
"All of our fences where our herd of reindeer were were down. The fences where the emu were hurt and killed, those were all wiped out and down," she said." So, yeah, we were catching animals that were loose last night, but all animals are accounted for."
An emu and a black swan were killed in the storm.
Anderson said volunteers have been showing up to help since the storm cleared.
"The outpouring from the community has just been absolutely amazing," she said. "Totally heartwarming; we were at a loss this morning, and there were people here last night trying to help us catch reindeer, secure fences. It was incredible."
Damage to the zoo was estimated at $200,000. The zoo was hoping to raise money online to help pay for repairs.