In the media frenzy created yesterday over word that Zoo New England might be shuttered in sweeping state budget cuts, rampant speculation rose over the fate of the animals that live at the Stone Zoo and Franklin Park Zoo.
People immediately started accusing the zoos of planning to kill its animals.
“There are no plans for the Zoo to euthanize any animals in the collection as a result of the budget cuts,” Zoo New England said in a statement through its PR firm.
“IF the Zoos were to close to the public and control of the Zoos reverted back to the Commonwealth (as described in Massachusetts General Law 92B), it would take 2-3 years to place as many of the Zoos’ animals as possible in other facilities, and it would not be possible to place an estimated 20 percent of them. Under this scenario, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts – NOT Zoo New England – would be faced with the prospect of choosing between two options for the animals that could not be placed: caring for these animals for many years to come or euthanizing them.”