Zoo Seeks Upgrades In Fire Protection

The upcoming phase, expected to start in July or August and run through the fall, will involve the $1.5 million upgrade to a quarter-mile of old water main that runs from Adams Mill Road to the veterinary hospital at the southern end of the zoo.

The work must be done at night to avoid disrupting daily activities around the hospital, officials said.

Another water main upgrade, from the hospital to the Great Ape House, could start later this year, pending government funding.

In addition, the zoo is about to test a state-of-the-art smoke detection system in the Great Ape House and Kids' Farm Barn that can "see" smoke and fire, said the zoo's resident engineer, Marc M. Muller.

Smoke is a serious problem, Berry said, because, unlike people, most animals can't be evacuated from a burning structure. It was smoke inhalation that killed the animals at the Philadelphia Zoo, officials said at the time. "The animals are stuck," Berry said. "How do we get the smoke out of the buildings and keep the animals alive?"

Berry said a zoo team has been going around the country to see how it might be done. "Nobody has done that well," he said.

In the meantime, the zoo has taken further stopgap measures.

Smoking was banned last year because of mulch fires sparked by discarded cigarette butts. This month, the zoo is replacing its fire hydrants with newer models. And workers are constructing a hay barn away from other buildings.

"While we're waiting for the sprinklers and this water main to get done," Berry said, "we've got to be extra vigilant, and on our extra guard."

The zoo was lucky again in November, Berry said. An overhead heater ignited some hay in a stall at the Kids' Farm Barn. Zookeepers led cows and goats to safety, and a panicked donkey was taken out while a keeper held a hand over the animal's eyes.

The fire was extinguished by the zoo's police chief, who doused the flames with a garden hose. No people or animals were hurt.

There were sprinklers in the barn, but the zoo found that they did not activate because the heat did not reach the sensors, Berry said. "We're learning in each of these things," he said. "We've been very fortunate."