A powerful thunderstorm that swept through the Valley on Monday caused significant damage at the Phoenix Zoo, forcing its temporary closure, officials said.
According to a zoo statement, more than a dozen trees were knocked down, debris was scattered across the property, and flooding occurred in multiple areas. The zoo will remain closed for at least two days while crews work to clean up and assess the full extent of the damage.
While no animals were hurt, several structures sustained damage. A 50-foot-tall tree-like structure toppled into the zoo’s main lake, and parts of the popular ZooLights light tunnel were also damaged in the storm.
Zoo staff credited their zookeepers’ quick response for ensuring animal safety. All animals were moved into their night houses before the worst of the storm hit.
“Our team did an incredible job keeping every animal safe and secure,” the zoo said in a statement. “Now our focus shifts to making sure the zoo is ready to welcome guests back safely.”
The closure comes as cleanup continues across metro Phoenix, where Monday’s severe storms left widespread power outages, flooding, and high winds.
