(July 11) - More than 1,000 animals may need new homes, and some may have to be euthanized, after the governor cut funding to a Boston zoo, The Boston Globe reported.
The Franklin Park Zoo and the smaller Stone Zoo, in nearby Stoneham, saw more than 550,000 visitors last year.
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An expected $6.5 million approved by the state legislature -- accounting for more than half of the zoos' budget -- was chopped to $2.5 million by Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick.
Slashing the budget could end up costing the state even more, zoo officials told the Globe. They said if the zoos run out of money, they become the responsibility of the state -- and it would cost at least $9 million to shutter the zoos.
Both sides cite the economic downturn. The governor's office said the money is needed to help families.
But Boston's mayor said the cuts remove a community resource that offers a cheap day out for those who are struggling during the downturn.
The zoo opened in 1913, and is home to zebras, gorillas, kangaroos, butterflies and others, according to the zoo's Web site.
Read the full story in The Boston Globe.
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