(MSN) – A chimpanzee, several monkeys, lemurs, and other animals have died after a Texas primate sanctuary lost power amid a brutal winter storm pounding the southern U.S. this week. Staff and volunteers at Primarily Primates were trying to evacuate the facility when they found about a dozen dead animals, the San Antonio-area nonprofit said Wednesday.
One of them was 58-year-old Violet, the sanctuary’s oldest chimp. “Every animal matters to us and we are devastated,” said Priscilla Feral, president of Friends of Animals, which manages the 78-acre facility in Bexar County. The sanctuary lost power early Monday morning as a result of the state’s rotating outages, a drastic measure aimed at preventing a major energy collapse as demand for heat and electricity skyrocketed across Texas.
The storm hitting the Lone Star State and the surrounding region has brought freezing rain and record-breaking cold temperatures to an area unfamiliar with such conditions. Sanctuary officials said they have been using generators and heaters to keep the surviving animals safe but are also transferring some of them to the San Antonio Zoo.
“We know this unprecedented Arctic blast is taking a toll on humans, which is why we are so grateful to the San Antonio Zoo staff for helping us transport and care for animals as well as the more than 60 volunteers who have organized meetups and driven their 4x4s in treacherous conditions to bring us supplies,” Feral said. READ MORE
