A devastating New Year’s Eve fire reportedly sparked by fireworks ripped through the monkey house of a German zoo, killing more than 30 animals, including gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees and marmosets, according to reports.
Krefeld Zoo in northwestern Germany, near the Dutch border, said its “worst fears have become a reality.”
“An unfathomable tragedy hit us shortly after midnight. Our ape building burned down to the foundation,” the zoo said on its Facebook page about the enclosure, which opened in 1975.
The dpa news agency, quoting officials, said the dead animals included two gorillas, chimps and orangutans, as well as fruit bats and birds.
The zoo in North Rhine-Westphalia, which specializes in primates, said the nearby Gorilla Garden didn’t go up in flames — and that popular resident Kidogo and his family are alive.
The management said the zoo would remain closed Wednesday with employees “in shock” as they cope with the “terrible tragedy.”
Investigators were exploring the possibility the fire had been started by celebratory fireworks, according to Reuters, which cited local broadcaster WDR.
A local man said he was “speechless” that fireworks were still allowed near the zoo and called on city authorities to ban them within a mile radius, according to Sky News.
“The animals suffer extremely from these fireworks, they panic and especially the zoo should have been protected,” he added.
German Animal Welfare Society James Brückner told Euronews, said: “If fireworks really caused the fire, this would be a terrible proof of the dramatic consequences uncontrolled fireworks can have.
“At least around areas where many animals live — and of course zoos are among them — there is an urgent need for protective zones where private New Year’s Eve fireworks are prohibited,” he said, according to the UK’s Mirror.
“Otherwise, even fatal fires cannot be ruled out — regardless of whether they are in zoos, animal shelters or farms. We now hope for a quick clarification of the tragedy in Krefeld for all parties involved,” Brückner added.
With Post wires
