Torrential Rains Flood Minnesota Zoo, Leaving Animals Dead

Torrential rains brought intense flooding to areas of Minnesota yesterday, including the Lake Superior Zoo in Duluth.

It is feared that more than fourteen animals perished in the rapidly-rising flood waters, which came after a series of thunderstorms drenched the region with more than nine inches of rain in less than 24 hours. The popular zoo, which sits at the bottom of a hill, has been the victim of flooding in the past, but none worse than yesterday's deluge.

Almost all of the zoo's barnyard animals that belonged to the petting zoo for children perished in the flood waters, including six sheep, four goats, one donkey, one raven, one snowy owl and one turkey vulture. Two of the park's popular seals, Fesity and Helen, managed to escape their flooded enclosure but were rescued as they tried valiantly to flee the flood waters. People living near the zoo photographed the terrified seals as they frantically lumbered across busy roads in an effort to escape the deadly waters.


The zoo's female polar bear Berlin also temporarily escaped from her enclosure as well, but was quickly tranquilized and placed in a temporary pen, away from the flood waters and out of harm's way.  

A creek flows through the normally idyllic 16-acre property, which means torrential rains can cause dangerous flash flooding. Zoo keepers fear that the animal death count will continue to rise, as staff and volunteers enter the flooded enclosures to survey the damage and take a census of the animals. 

Not Exactly Melrose Place: Apartment Complex Testing Dog Doo DNA

An apartment complex in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is using dog doo DNA to find out which pooch is leaving tootsie rolls on the complex grounds without the owner's cleaning it up!

In a page right out of CSI, Rosedale Estates North is employing the doo-doo DNA technique to catch the offending renters and fining them a rather hefty $100 for the first offense. The second offense comes with a $100 fine as well, and the dog will then be banned from the complex.

As part of the lease agreement residents sign, DNA swabs are taken from a pet’s mouth and sent to the Bio Pets lab, where the specimen is kept on file. Should a pet owner not pick up after their dog, workers at the complex "harvest" the sample and send the offending fecal matter to the lab for analysis.

Rosedale Estates recently had their first offense. Complex officials have a suspect in mind, and the sample has been sent off for testing. A majority of the residents claim they are completely comfortable with the complex's policy and pet DNA testing.