Dozens of animals including orangutans and chimps are burnt alive after inferno ‘sparked by New Year’s Eve fireworks’ sweeps through monkey enclosure at German zoo
- Animals killed after a fire ripped through monkey house at Krefeld zoo, Germany
- ‘Our worst fears have been realised,’ the zoo said in a statement on Facebook
- Officials would not confirm whether fireworks could have sparked the blaze
Fire ripped through the monkey house at Krefeld zoo in northwestern Germany on New Year’s Eve killing dozens of animals, including orangutans, chimpanzees and marmosets, management said Wednesday.
‘Our worst fears have been realised,’ the zoo, which specialises in primates, announced on its Facebook page. ‘There are no surviving animals in the money sanctuary.’
Police said at least 30 of the animals had died.
Firefighters work at the burning monkey house of the zoo in Krefeld, western Germany, on early January 1
Firefighters work at the burned-out monkey house. The blaze destroyed the monkey enclosure, which opened in 1975, shortly before midnight
Firefighters in front of the shelled-out animal house which was destroyed by a sudden fire on New Year’s Eve
Orangutans pictured inside the monkey house just six hours before the blaze
The blaze destroyed the monkey enclosure, which opened in 1975, shortly before midnight.
One photo taken at the zoo shows orangutans in the enclosure, just six hours before the blaze broke out.
But firefighters prevented the flames from spreading to other buildings at the zoo in North Rhine-Westphalia.
It was not clear what started the fire although local media have reported that it could have been caused by fireworks.
Firefighters at the burned-out monkey house of the zoo in Krefeld. It was not clear what started the fire although local media have reported that it could have been caused by fireworks
The burned-out monkey house of the zoo in Krefeld pictured in the early hours of January 1
Officials would not confirm on Wednesday whether New Year’s fireworks could have sparked the blaze.
The zoo would remain closed during Wednesday with employees ‘in shock’ after a ‘terrible tragedy’, the management said.
‘An unfathomable tragedy hit us shortly after midnight.’ the zoo said in a statement. ‘Our ape building burned down to the foundation.’
The zoo said the nearby Gorilla Garden didn’t go up in flames, however, and Gorilla Kidogo and his family are alive.
Firefighters at work at the destroyed monkey house in Krefeld, Germany