- Germany -
A fire that broke out at Krefeld Zoo, near Dusseldorf, killed the lives of many innocent animals during the first minutes of the New Year 2020.
Police and firefighters received the first emergency calls at 12:38 a.m.
Officials said the fire may have been caused by those damn Chinese sky lanterns launched to celebrate the new year.
The sky lanterns are known as a fire hazard and are banned in Germany!!!
According to Gerd Hoppmann, the city’s head of criminal police, "People reported seeing those sky lanterns flying at low altitude near the zoo and then it started burning."
The zoo said that the entire Ape House burned down and more than 30 animals, including five orangutans, two gorillas, a chimpanzee and several monkeys, as well as fruit bats and birds, were killed.
Zoo director Wolfgang Dressen said two chimpanzees, Bally and Limbo, survived the fire.
They are slightly injured but under veterinary observation.
TIME reports that “The zoo said the Gorilla Garden, which is near its devastated Ape House, didn’t go up in flames and that gorilla Kidogo and six other members of his family are alive.”
An investigation is ongoing.
