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94TH ENGINEERS HELP REHABILITATE BAGHDAD ZOO

V Corps Release

Release Date: 5/22/2003

By Sgt. Tyrone Walker V Corps Public Affairs Office

CAMP VICTORY, IRAQ -- Imagine deploying for war and being given the mission of fixing a lion's cage. Not exactly what you expected, is it?

But that's exactly one of the tasks V Corps' 94th Engineer Battalion has been assigned here in the aftermath of combat.

The Baghdad Zoo was heavily damaged in the fighting here. Looters and vandals increased the damage, releasing or stealing most of the animals and destroying cages and other zoo facilities.

The 94th, headquartered in Grafenwoehr, Germany, can't replace the zoo's animals. But the battalion's welders, plumbers, electricians, carpenters and masons can put the physical facility back together again, and have been working together to rebuild structural damage.

Stephan Lawrence, a conservation director brought in from South Africa, is helping the 94th determine what needs to be done to rehabilitate the zoo. "The support of the U.S. military has been outstanding," Lawrence said.

Damaged cages were temporarily wired closed until the engineers began welding the doors and walls. A crew of seven soldiers from the 94th spent approximately three days welding. Another crew will come later to repair the plumbing.

"We have a great team out here working together to help reconstruct the zoo," said Sgt. Arthur Crump of the 94th. "Troops are highly motivated and morale is high."