When people see storage pods they often automatically think - storage unit, but for the residents of a small town in Iowa storage pods will never have the same meaning again.
(prHWY.com) December 18, 2012 - Seattle, WA -- When people see storage pods they often automatically think - storage unit, but for the residents of a small town in Iowa storage pods will never have the same meaning again. For the residents of Spring Falls, Iowa storage pods will always be associated with the heartwarming story of the rescue of a killer whale named, KoKo.
"It all started on a warm summer day when the aquarium at the local animal hospital broke", said Tad Johnson, the local historian for Spring Falls. "It just so happened that at the time the animal hospital was looking after a baby killer whale by the name of KoKo. The whale needs to be submerged in water or else there is a chance it could develop serious illnesses or even die."
The town was in quite a stir over how they would be able to rescue the baby killer whale. The closest aquarium that had room for the whale was 10 hours away. The baby whale was in no condition to travel the 10 hours to the nearest aquarium.
"Whales can survive without being in water for several hours", explained animal expert, Jack Franks. "Unfortunately, due to KoKo's delicate situation going in, she would have never survived the journey."
Upon hearing the news the local residents gathered together to device an impromptu plan that would help save the whale. There were hundreds of ideas, but only one really seemed to be the most appropriate.
"We had hundreds of ideas from residents, but only one really helped with the situation", said Johnson. "A local owner of a rental store that carried storage pods offered his largest storage pod to us. We could then
transform that storage pod into a small aquarium and take KoKo to the aquarium she needed."
The process required the town to drill a small hole in the top of the box. The box would then be filled with salt water and KoKo placed inside. It wasn't an ideal situation, but it worked for transportation.
"We don't normally recommend whales being held in such tight spaces", said Franks. "But this worked as it would allow KoKo to travel to the nearest aquarium."
The residents of Spring Falls lined the streets to give KoKo the farewell she deserved. Children waved banners wishing her a safe trip, while adults cheered and photographed the memorable occasion.
"I have never seen anything like it at all", said Sara Turner, a resident of Spring Falls. "It was definitely something I wanted to document for my scrapbook and something I could show my kids I was present for."
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