Supposedly, Animals Didn’t Escape New Jersey Zoo Storm

CLAIM: Images show that a variety of wild animals are loose in South Orange, New Jersey after they escaped overnight from the Turtle Back Zoo when the remnants of Hurricane Ida caused flooding at the facility.

AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. These images are old. Turtle Back Zoo tweeted on Thursday that its animals “weathered the storm well and remain safe and secure within the facility.”

THE FACTS: Lions, crocodiles, penguins and gorillas are not roaming the streets of South Orange, New Jersey, despite a hoax that was circulating widely the morning after severe flash flooding in the area.