elephantcicles anyone????
Y2K bug hiding at zoo, too?
By Julia C. Martinez
Denver Post Staff Writer
March 8 - When clocks chime the new year, the monkeys, fish, birds, bats and other critters at the Denver Zoo could become just as vulnerable to any Y2K problem as people.
It's highly unlikely a computer-related power failure would pop open the gates at the animal compound in northeast Denver, unleashing birds and beasts across the city. The zoo's network of animal enclosures is virtually impenetrable, and many of the gates are operated manually, not electronically.
Still, zookeepers do have concerns about the so-called millenium bug running wild inside their computers and power systems. Any year-end computer glitch could bring a host of problems.
"We're not worried about the elevators," said Brian Klepinger, executive vice president of the zoo. "We're worried about the health and welfare of the animals." Zookeepers are readying backup power sources and plan to increase food and medical supplies.
The zoo's four-legged mammals have their own barns, some heated, some not, depending on the animal. The nearly hairless elephants, which disdain weather below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, have warm enclosures that could be heated with backup propane heaters if necessary. Buffalo and reindeer don't need heated barns.(cont)
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