An army of 15 zookeepers have been tasked with the job of protecting hundreds of animals at a zoo in regional New South Wales at risk of destruction by bushfires.
Wielding hoses and using sprinklers, the staff at Mogo Zoo are doing all they can to protect the 200 animals trapped in enclosures, at the site north of Batemans Bay on the NSW far south coast.
Mogo Wildlife Park director Chad Staples confirmed ‘every single animal’ has been saved, but said the risk of the fire returning remained a very real possibility.
‘Any species that was small or in an area that we couldn’t protect – we caught up,’ Mr Staples told the ABC.
‘Right now in my house there are animals of all description that are safe and protected.
‘For the dangerous animals – the lions, tigers, orangutans – we encouraged them to the night den and kept them calm to protect them at that site.’
Giraffes are seen stranded in an open field as bushfire moves in on Mogo Zoo – as an army of 15 brave zookeepers stand guard with hoses and sprinklers to save the animals (pictured)
An army of 15 zookeepers have been tasked with the job of protecting hundreds of animals at Mogo Zoo on the New South Wales Far South Coast at risk of destruction by bushfires (pictured)
Sprinklers and hoses were used to keep the ground wet around the animals enclosures.
Mr Staples told the Daily Telegraph that brave staff had managed to protect the animals through the worst of the firestorm.
‘We had staff in every corner making sure everyone and every animal was safe,’ he said.
‘It was hell. You can still see the flames just across from us.’
Mogo Zoo is home to about 200 animals and the largest collection of primates in Australia – as well as giraffes, lions, tigers, southern white rhinos, red pandas and its famous snow leopards.
The sanctuary spans 81 acres of bushland.
Australia’s famous Mogo Zoo is directly in the line of fire as a 31,000-hectare blaze threatens the renowned tourist attraction
The out-of-control blaze has now crossed the Princes Highway close to the small town of Mogo (pictured Green Wattle Creek Fire near town of Tahmoor on December 19)
The out-of-control blaze crossed the Princes Highway on Monday morning and destroyed the town of Mogo earlier on Tuesday morning.
‘Multiple fires are currently burning between Cooma, Bega and Batemans Bay and a number of these pose a serious threat to life,’ the NSW Rural Fire Service said.
The company that owned the zoo said they were taking ‘every precaution’ to ensure the animals were protected from the flames.
The sprawling Mogo Zoo has the largest collection of primates in Australia, as well as giraffes (pictured at the zoo), lions, tigers, Southern White Rhinos and red pandas
‘Our director of life sciences and his team are currently on site and taking extra steps to make sure they and the animals in the zoo are safe,’ a spokesperson for Featherdale Wildlife Park told Daily Mail Australia.
The Sydney-based wildlife park bought the zoo on NSW’s far south coast last month from previous owner Sally Padey.
Ms Padey said the threat to the zoo from the fire was the ‘worst thing to happen in the history’ of the zoo.
‘I hope they are going to be OK,’ she told The Daily Telegraph.
‘It’s the worst thing to happen in the history of Mogo Zoo.’
The NSW Rural Fire Service released a dire warning for residents and holidaymakers on the New South Wales south coast.
They said members of bushfire-prone communities near Batemans Bay and Bega should move to large towns away from bushland.
The previous owner said the advancing flames on New South Wales’ South Coast were the ‘worst thing to happen in the history’ of the zoo
‘There are 7 dangerous fires burning between Batemans Bay and the Victorian border on the South Coast,’ the RFS said.
‘These fires have moved quickly this morning beyond the predicted fire spread for today.’
‘They pose a serious threat to life. Do not be in the path of these fires. Avoid bushland areas and if the path is clear move to larger towns or beaches to take shelter.’
Extreme fire danger is forecast for the Southern Ranges, Illawarra and ACT on New Year’s Eve while surrounding regions – including Sydney, the Hunter and the far south coast – are set for severe fire danger.