Boston may close zoo, euthanize animals

BOSTON, July 11 (UPI) -- Deep budget cuts may force Boston's Franklin Park Zoo to close and euthanize at least 20 percent of its animals, officials said.

Without more funding, the Franklin Park Zoo and the smaller Stone Zoo in Stoneham face closing by October, laying off 165 workers and trying to find new homes for more than 1,000 animals, The Boston Globe reported Saturday.

At least 20 percent of the animals are unlikely to find new homes and would be euthanized, officials for the two zoos told the Globe.

During the last year, an estimated 570,000 people visited the two zoos, run through a public-private partnership funded by taxpayers and visitor revenue.

The Massachusetts Legislature this year voted to give $6.5 million to the zoos -- more than half of their budget -- but Gov. Deval Patrick cut the state funding to $2.5 million.

"It's very upsetting. It would be a horrible, horrible loss for the community," state Rep. Elizabeth Malia, D-Jamaica Plain, said of the proposed closings.