User:Asparagusfish/sandbox

Overview
On Friday, September 29, 2023, a female sea lion called Sally escaped the Central Park Zoo after a severe flooding in New York City. The zoo was closed when this incident happened.

Event
Record-breaking rain hit New York City on Friday, September 29, 2023. Many schools, basements, subways, and vehicles were impacted by the flooding. On Friday morning, the Wildlife Conservation Society closed five of their facilities, four zoos and one aquarium. Sally, the female sea lion who escaped, was at the Central Park Zoo, which is one of the four zoos.

Sally, the female sea lion who escaped, is a California sea lion (Zalophus californianus), native to the West Coast of the United States. The animal swam out of the flooded pool she was in and roamed around the surrounding area. She never breached the zoo’s secondary perimeter. Sally was monitored by the zoo staff during the escape. No staff or animal was harmed during the event.

Aftermath
In the afternoon, after the water has receded, Sally safely returned to her disclosure, where she lives with two other sea lions.