St. Louis Zoo scrambles animals, 10,000 visitors to safety amid EF-3 tornado

After the severe climate damaged the butterfly wing in the St. Louis Zoo, the touch of the Mariposa M. Sachs house in butterflies and cups until your home can be repaired. This video shows butterflies released at your temporary home in the house of butterflies Sophia M. Sachs in the Botanical Garden of Missouri.

San Luis – While a tornado warning can be stressful for a family, imagine being the St. Louis Zoo, which was just outside the path of an EF-3 tornado and managed to keep hundreds of animals, insects, reptiles and 10,000 safe visitors.

The Metropolitan Region of St. Louis faces an unimagered loss and a long recovery after a strong tornado forged a path of destruction of 23 miles through the city, leaving five dead and estimated damages at approximately $ 1 billion.

The tornado has just brushed the north of the St. Louis Zoo, which suffered significant wind damage through historical property.

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The director of the St. Louis Zoo, Michael Macek, said that the zoo staff did not expect a tornado warning to prepare for the storm. The association of zoos and facilities accredited by aquariums has an emergency plan for each situation, including escapes of animals, fires and weather events.

Trees in the St. Louis Zoo after the storm of May 16, 2025.

(Climate of the St. Louis Zoo)

“The morning was a beautiful day. In fact, just after the tornado came out, the sun came out and it was a beautiful afternoon,” Macek said. “As the climate approached, we would let us know everyone. We made sure that they had all their radios.

Even before the National Meteorological Service issued the surveillance of the tornado, animal caregivers were using withdrawal techniques to ensure that animals returned within their closed areas.

Not all animals were inside the storm. Asian elephants had their own tornado exercise.

“Then you can imagine a large animal. If you are in the country, you could take many projectiles, “Macek said.” So they instinctively perform the water. So the course of the larger, hard and hard winds, and then returned. “

Animal grazing was the only challenge; Therefore, the staff also needed to guarantee the refuge of the 10,000 visitors. Through the zoo, severe severe weather zones are considered safe.

Damage to Mariposa wing Mary Anne Lee by St. Louis Zoo after the storm of May 16, 2025.

(Climate of the St. Louis Zoo)

“The members of our team could be bringing people to the administration building, the basement,” Macek said. “We had approximately 70 people in the basement of our reptile house. There were people in our bathrooms, who are only ash blocks, without windows. “

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After the storm passed, Macek said it was evident due to the damage that the zoo needed to close. Then, the staff evacuated all the guests who had protected themselves from the storm through the zoo.

Macek said the Solarium recently renewed in Herpatrium was damaged, and some perimeter fences were demolished.

The ceiling of the Ann Lee Butterfly wing of the Zoo was also damaged by the storm. The house of butterflies Sophia M. Sachs in the Botanical Garden of Missouri in Chesterfield approached and tok in butterflies, chrysalids and cups that need a temporary place.

Macek said it plays about two days to collect all the butterflies.

Butterflies, chrysalids and cups of the St. Louis Zoo in its temporal home, the house of butterflies Sophia M. Sachs in Chesterfield, Missouri.

(Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House)

“If you are a competent butterfly network, it is not so complicated and our team is quite competent in that,” he said.

The most significant loss is trees through the zoo. Macek estimates that about 100 trees, some of more than 100 years, fell into the storm.

“That is incredible shame,” Macek said.

On Monday, around 70% of the zoo campus was reopened, and Macek expects the full zoo to be open on the weekend of the Fallen Day.