Although many people have to focus on themselves and their loved ones during a hurricane, animals also need to be taken care of. Hurricane Ian forced staff at Sunken Gardens to get creative by moving the flamingos to a bathroom at the park to shelter them from the oncoming storm.
Sunken Gardens is a classic attraction in Florida that remains a popular destination in St. Petersburg. The city-owned park was opened in 1911 and is home to some of the oldest tropical plants in the region, as well as a variety of animals like butterflies, turtles and tropical birds.
Perhaps the bathrooms aren’t the most glamorous destination but they did work to shield the feathered friends from the storm. Sunken Gardens made sure to tweet out to let others know the animals were safe.
Along with a photo of the flamingos hanging out inside the bathroom, the caption read: “We’re hunkered down! Our animals are safe w/staff on site to see them through the storm. The flamingos are having a hurricane party in the bathroom; eating, drinking, & dancing. Stay safe out there!”
The park has used the bathrooms as a shelter for the birds before. Despite the flamingos having their own hurricane-rated building at Sunken Gardens, the magnitude of the store led managers to opt for the safer, bathroom plan.
Supervising director Dwayne Biggs announced that Sunken Gardens was in “great shape” after the storm. “There’s some damage in the gardens but not catastrophic,” he said. Cleanup continues at the park with the goal of reopening soon.
Source: https://twitter.com/SunkenGardens/status/1575196306896584705