ASHEVILLE, N.C. — A team of 10 people from Zoo Knoxville traveled to Asheville to help with recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene devastated the area. The team especially helped with efforts to restore the Western North Carolina Nature Center in Asheville.
In a post on social media, Zoo Knoxville said the nature center was among the organizations impacted by the storm. It said it had severe damage to its infrastructure and although all the animals were safe, floodwater destroyed the nature center's main access road and bridge. So, it said it was difficult for supplies and resources to be brought in.
Zoo Knoxville said the team it sent consisted of 10 people — zoo staff, welders and arborists. It said they cleared debris, repaired damaged fencing and helped rebuild critical infrastructure to help make sure the animals stayed safe. The team brought equipment to help the nature center recover, such as a 100-gallon diesel tank, a 50-gallon water tank, five rolls of 10-foot-tall chain link fencing, five chain link poles and different kinds of steel tubing to help with repairs.
The team cleared 11 fallen trees and cleaned off debris from the top of animal habitats. It also trimmed tree branches along the nature center's pathways, installed new fencing and compacted a large brush pile.
"Hurricane Helene went through Asheville, North Carolina, and greatly interrupted infrastructure at that zoo," said Bill Street, Zoo Knoxville's president.
He said the North Carolina nature center asked for help from the zoo. He said the zoo was also working with the Zoological Disaster Response, Rescue and Recovery organization to facilitate help for the Western North Carolina Nature Center.
Phil Colclough said the nature center is near the Swannanoa River, which saw historic flooding during the storm. He said the nature center had no safe water or electricity "for the foreseeable future" so the Zoo Knoxville team was also helping them care for the animals.
"I've spent a lifetime looking at rivers. I've never seen the impact of a river like this," he said. "The way that river scoured the landscape, knocked the trees out and it's like nothing I've ever seen."
