Calgary Zoo closes flood-damaged South America building

Flooding has forced theCalgary Zoo to permanently close a building that showcased animals from South America.

The 34animalsincluding parrots, monkeys and slothswill be moved to other institutions starting as early as next week.

"We know people will be sad that these animals are leaving us, but we need to think of their welfare and we simply cant provide for their long-term needs in the foreseeable future," said zoo president Clment Lanthier.

• Listen to Lanthier's full interview with The Homestretch by clicking the "Listen" button above.

The building, located on the zoos 32-acreisland, is one of the oldest at the zoo and one of the hardest hit when the Bow River overflowed last month.

Lanthier says the sad reality is the zoo has been forever changed by the flood.

The zoo was already looking for new homes forsomezoo inhabitantsprior to the floodincluding a white stork, Parma wallaby, two black swans and seven Rock hyraxes which brings the number that needs tobe moved to 45 animals from 15 different species.

Whileclosing the South America building was always part of the zoo'slong-term planannounced in April, butzoo officials saynone of the staff were prepared to lose it in such a sudden and devastating way.

"That will be tough for the keepers, because they have built a personal relationship with many of those specimens," he said.

The damage to the zoo from the June flooding is estimated at $60 million, including estimated lost revenue.

Earlier, the zoo announced it wouldlay off 300 staffbecause of the flood-based closure.