A Florida panhandle zoo is asking local officials to help it out of financial woes. Officials from the “Zoo Northwest Florida” at Gulf Breeze are asking the Santa Rosa County Commission to become the first member of the "Tri-County Interlocal Zoological Authority."

The organization would include governments from Santa Rosa, Escambia and Okaloosa counties, to help the zoo regain its financial footing.

The zoo's Executive Director says, if the commission can't find a way to work with them, she will have to recommend closing the zoo.

Last year, the zoo at Gulf Breeze announced it was three million dollars in debt, because damage from hurricanes was not covered by insurance.