USDA cites Duluth zoo for shelter issues in flood

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has cited the Lake Superior Zoo in Duluth for providing inadequate shelter for its farm animals.

Six sheep and four goats were killed during the record flooding. The USDA citation did not specifically detail what was inadequate about the zoo's facility, which was not located in a flood plain.

The citation only said the zoo must provide adequate shelter to "afford animals protection from inclement weather conditions."

"The simple truth of the matter is we did lose animals in the flood that are regulated under USDA, and we had to get a citation," said Peter Pruett, the Lake Superior Zoo's Director of Operations.

USDA spokesman Dave Sacks says the agency is satisfied with ongoing efforts to reduce the risk of future flooding.

"It's not a situation where the Lake Superior Zoo is a failing facility," Sacks said. "That was a facility that was smack dab in the middle of that flood line. It's something that they're working on now to correct the damage, and sometimes that's all we can ask for."

The DNR, MnDOT and the zoo are all working to improve drainage of Kingsbury Creek, a certified trout stream that flows through the zoo property.

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