By Jennifer MascaroTime | April 12, 2018 | 5:19pmEastern Ohio’s largest wildlife park is closing its doors, but not before saving some endangered animals.
On Monday, the Piedmont Wildlife Refuge in Brazoria County, home to the iconic wild boar, announced it will shut down for good.
In the meantime, the refuge is accepting donations for the next few months.
Piedmoin’s website says it will offer a cash reward for information leading to the safe return of the animals it lost to a recent outbreak of the coronavirus.
Brazoria County Sheriff’s Lt.
Dan Baugh said the refuge had to close due to the coronas pandemic.
He said the loss of the boar was especially heartbreaking because it was a cherished pet.
“The only way to make this happen is to take care of these animals,” Baugh told ABC News.
“We have to take them back to the wilds.
The only way we can get to them is by getting to them and caring for them.”
The refuge, which is located near the Pittsburgh and Columbus metropolitan areas, was the first refuge in Ohio to be closed to visitors in April, but the closure was later extended to October.
It is not the only wildlife refuge in the area closing its door this week.
In a letter to the county, the National Park Service said that it was closing its Wildlife Center at the Lake Erie Wildlife Refuge because of a coronaviruses pandemic outbreak.
The closure is effective from Saturday, May 1.