Zoo Shoots Bison to ‘Spare Them.’

The Hershey Park zoo in Harrisburg, PA is catching some well-deserved flack after zookeepers shot two beloved bison to death to “spare them” from rising flood waters.

Remnants from tropical storm Lee are soaking the East Coast and causing flood waters to rise rapidly. The Hershey Park zoo evacuated many of the animals there but had neglected to plan an escape for two bison. Fearing that the two would drown if water continued to rise, zoo keepers took a gun and shot the bison to death.

What the zoo calls a “euthanasia” feels more like a mob-style execution. The zoo had at least two days to prepare an evacuation but failed to act. A Facebook group made to honor the two bison and bring attention to the zoo’s inaction already has close to 4,000 likes and is quickly growing.

However deranged, the zoo may have actually believed they were operating with good intentions. The problem is that the whole situation could have been avoided if they had planned ahead.