Ethan will be 6 on July 13th and we had first planned on raising monies for the Como Zoo giraffe exhibit instead of having a party and getting gifts on his Birthday. The giraffe are his favorite animal and living so close to the Como Zoo we get to enjoy them quite often.

After the recent flooding in Duluth and the devastating loss of animals we decided to help raise money to save the Lake Superior Zoo.

Watching the news stories and seeing photos of what the Zoo looks like now, We cannot imagine not having our Zoo or how we would feel if our animals were displaced.

Also, a HUGE- THANK YOU! to the Como Zoo for welcoming the two seals and the Polar Bear. We cannot wait to visit them before they go back to Duluth.

Zookeepers at Como Park Zoo and Conservatory picked up Berlin the polar bear and Feisty the seal and her companion early Thursday morning, said Matt Reinartz, a Como Zoo spokesman. Officials from both zoos had been talking throughout the day to figure out whether the animals needed to be brought to St. Paul.

"When (Lake Superior Zoo officials) determined it was in the animals' best interest to bring them back to Como, we were ready to respond," Reinartz said.

The animals will be quarantined from other animals, a standard practice for new animals. Berlin will stay in Polar Bear Odyssey and the seals will stay in the aquatic building. Officials don't know how long the animals will remain in St. Paul.

Reinartz said visitors may be able to see the seals as early as today, but no plans are in place yet for Berlin.

The animals' homes were destroyed early Wednesday morning when incessant rains poured into Duluth. The flooding caused a natural creek in the zoo to get blocked, filling up the zoo with water. At least 13 animals drowned and one animal is missing.

The water rose high enough to allow the seals to swim out of their exhibit. Feisty was found at around 3 a.m. outside of the zoo on Grand Avenue by an alert driver, and zoo officials were able to move her back to the zoo. Berlin was sighted at the top of her exhibit and was sedated with a tranquilizer gun to bring her into a secure area.

All but one of the animals in the barnyard exhibit died in the flooding, including sheep, lambs, goats and a beloved donkey named Ashley. The zoo also lost a snowy owl and a turkey vulture and possibly a raven; zoo officials didn't know whether it died or escaped. The flooding caused damage to several parts of the zoo. Officials expect some bridges to be washed out, as well as major parts of the polar exhibit. They're still unsure of when it will reopen.

Thanks to everyone who share a passion in the animals that Ethan does and for your generosity in helping this great cause!