Wilfredo Lee, The Associated PressJennifer Nelson, senior keeper at Zoo Miami, leads a cheetah named Koda to a hurricane resistant structure within the zoo, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017 in Miami. Though most animals will reman in their secure structures, Koda and his brother Diesel and some birds will ride out the storm in temporary housing.
Al Diaz, Miami Herald via APZookeeper Ryan Martinez leads an Indian white-rumped vulture into a crate as animals are moved into a shelter at the Zoo Miami in preparation for Hurricane Irma on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017, in Miami.
Wilfredo Lee, The Associated PressFlamingos at Zoo Miami, are shown in a temporary enclosure in a hurricane resistant structure within the zoo, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017 in Miami. Though most animals will reman in their secure structures, the cheetahs and some birds will ride out the storm in temporary housing.
Osvaldo Gutierrez Gomez, ACN via APHandlers from the Cayo Guillermo dolphinarium prepare dolphins for their transfer to the dolphinarium in Cienfuegos, located on Cuba's southern coast, just hours before the arrival of Hurricane Irma, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. Irma spun along the northern coast of Cuba, where thousands of tourists were evacuated from low-lying keys off the coast dotted with all-inclusive resorts.
Osvaldo Gutierrez Gomez, ACN via APA handler fastens in a dolphin in a helicopter, on the Cuban island of Cayo Guillermo, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. The dolphins of the Cayo Guillermo dolphinarium are being transferred to Cienfuegos, located on Cuba's southern coast. Hurricane Irma spun along the northern coast of Cuba, where thousands of tourists were evacuated from low-lying keys off the coast dotted with all-inclusive resorts. Irma has left at least 20 people dead and thousands homeless on a devastated string of Caribbean islands.
Bob Self, The Florida Times-Union via APLauren Jackowiec, the adoptions manager for the Jacksonville, Fla., Humane Society, loads crates of cats into the Humane Society's van for an evacuation trip to Sarasota, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. On the day that the Humane Society was to move animals into their new building they started the process of evacuating animals at the shelter to facilities out of the city ahead of Hurricane Irma. On Friday the dogs will begin a journey to a shelter in Lynchburg, Va.
Wilfredo Lee, The Associated PressRyan Martinez, a trainer at Zoo Miami, moves a crate containing an Eurasion Eagle Owl at Zoo Miami into a hurricane resistant structure within the zoo, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017 in Miami. Though most animals will reman in their secure structures, the cheetahs and some birds will ride out the storm in temporary housing.
Wilfredo Lee, The Associated PressPelicans at Zoo Miami rest after being moved into a hurricane resistant structure within the zoo, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017 in Miami. Though most animals will reman in their secure structures, thought the cheetahs and some birds will ride out the storm in temporary housing.
Jeanne Selander, Monroe County Sheriff's Office via APThis photo made available by the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, shows Mo the sloth eating an ear of corn as it is evacuated from the Monroe County Sheriff's animal farm Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017, in Key West, Fla. The 250 animals from the farm were relocated to the city jail.
Susan Stocker/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via APGretchen, left, and Ron Levine of "A Paw Above" in Hollywood, Fla., take care of 20 dogs and 21 cats as they have been inundated with pet care requests by people fleeing Hurricane Irma, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017.
Saul Loeb, AFP/Getty ImagesDogs sit inside their cages as hundreds of people gather in a pet-friendly emergency shelter at the Miami-Dade County Fair Expo Center in Miami, Florida, Sept. 8, 2017, ahead of Hurricane Irma. Florida Governor Rick Scott warned that all of the state's 20 million inhabitants should be prepared to evacuate as Hurricane Irma bears down for a direct hit on the southern US state.
Saul Loeb, AFP/Getty ImagesDogs sit inside their cages as hundreds of people gather in a pet-friendly emergency shelter at the Miami-Dade County Fair Expo Center in Miami, Florida, Sept. 8, 2017, ahead of Hurricane Irma. Florida Governor Rick Scott warned that all of the state's 20 million inhabitants should be prepared to evacuate as Hurricane Irma bears down for a direct hit on the southern US state.
Jim Rassol, South Florida Sun-Sentinel via APPeople seek shelter from Irma with their pets at the West Boynton Park and Recreation Center in preparation for Hurricane Irma in Boynton, Beach, Fla., on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017.
Jim Rassol, South Florida Sun-Sentinel via APPeople seek shelter from Irma with their pets at the West Boynton Park and Recreation Center in preparation for Hurricane Irma in Boynton, Beach, Fla., on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017.
Hector Retamal, AFP/Getty ImagesA boy puts chickens inside his house in the neighborhood of Aviation, in Cap-Haitien on Sept. 7, 2017, before the arrival of Hurricane Irma. Hurricane Irma is barrelling past Haiti towards the Turks and Caicos Islands, and then the Bahamas. Irma has produced sustained winds at 295kph (183mph) for more than 33 hours, making it the longest-lasting, top-intensity cyclone ever recorded, France's weather service said Thursday.
Brian Blanco, Getty ImagesWith the sky above him turning grey and the wind picking up, Ed Questell makes his way into an evacuation shelter at McKitrick Elementary School with his four pet birds as area residents evacuate ahead of Hurricane Irma on Sept. 09, 2017 in Lutz, Florida.
Spencer Platt, Getty ImagesA woman carries her dog as people arrive at a shelter at Alico Arena where thousands of Floridians are hoping to ride out Hurricane Irma on Sept. 9, 2017 in Fort Myers, Florida. The Fort Myers area could begin to feel hurricane-force winds from Irma by 11 a.m. Sunday and experience wind gusts over 100 mph from Sunday through Monday.
Wilfredo Lee, The Associated Press
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Jennifer Nelson, senior keeper at Zoo Miami, leads a cheetah named Koda to a hurricane resistant structure within the zoo, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017 in Miami. Though most animals will reman in their secure structures, Koda and his brother Diesel and some birds will ride out the storm in temporary housing.
ExpandBy Amy Brothers | abrothers@denverpost.com | The Denver Post
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Pets and zoo animals weren’t forgotten as many evacuated or prepared to hunker down as Hurricane Irma made landfall. Hurricane Irma ravaged the Caribbean islands of Barbuda and Antigua as well as St. Martin on Tuesday and was moving away from Cuba toward the Florida Keys on Saturday night and Sunday morning.















