Ghost Ranch Exotics, a private petting zoo in Marana, is looking for a set of marsupials and two African crested porcupines after high winds tore through in Friday evening's storm, leaving a trail of destruction.
"Currently, we're missing our only kangaroo, a capybara, and two African crested porcupines," said co-owner Geordi Davisson.
"We can't imagine they've gone too far, but in this heat, they're hunkered down in shady spots, looking for water and hiding from the sun," Davisson said. "It's hard to look for animals that are the color of the desert."
The owners ask that anyone who comes upon one of the missing animals call animal control and contact Ghost Ranch Exotics at 520-276-4469.
While most of the zoo's animals were found on the property after the storm, some enclosures were damaged, leading to temporary wanderings of animals that have since been found, including the Patagonian mara and various bird species.
The storm killed a few of the smaller birds at the facility, the owners said.
Currently, most of the animals remain onsite behind improvised temporary fencing and under shade, according to Davisson, with some of the birds are being housed temporarily in the facility's office and others at Davisson's house.
Davisson and fellow co-owner Kenneth MacNeil reported significant damage to the facility, at 9027 Ghost Ranch Trail, resulting in extensive losses to animal enclosures, aviaries and other structures.
The strong winds ripped apart animal houses and damaged nearly every fence and shade awning on the property.
A photo of the Destruction at Ghost Ranch Exotics. According to one of the petting zoo's co-owners, the facility suffered at least $50,000 in damages.
"My 5,000-pound aviary took flight and ended up spread across four acres. It damaged all of our fences, animal shade awnings, and destroyed half of our animal houses. It was a bad storm," Davisson said, estimating the damages to be around $50,000. "Everything is brand new. We just built it ourselves, and now it's all destroyed."
Widespread rain, wind and hail ripped through Tucson and surrounding areas July 28, leaving tens of thousands without power. Video courtesy of the University of Arizona.
