miami metrozoo flamingos, riding out hurricane andrew

How do you keep a flamingo flock safe in a major storm?

 This past weekend, many Americans got ready for Hermine, but odds are that very few people had to stuff 30 flamingos in the bathroom of the Miami Metrozoo.

Back in 1992, in the leadup to Hurricane Andrew, Ron Magill, the Miami Zoo’s assistant curator, had to help get an entire zoo ready for disaster.

He says now, “I thought we were doing all this for nothing.” But he and his team ran around doing what they could, making sure all of their furry, feathery and scaly charges were securely housed and fed.

Some of the bird exhibits weren’t likely to live up to the task. Most days, the flamingos loved being outside, sunning themselves in their outdoor lake. As soon as they were sure Andrew would make landfall, Magill and the other…