A devastating fire has destroyed a children’s mini zoo in the United Kingdom, killing all the animals housed inside the facility.
Emergency crews from the Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service were called to The Jungle Box, located on the Watermill Industrial Estate in Buntingford, at about 3:20 a.m. on Wednesday after reports of a major blaze.
The indoor play centre, which opened in June last year, recently introduced an exotic animal section featuring meerkats, snakes, giant tortoises, iguanas, owls and genets. None of the animals survived the fire.
Images released by the fire service showed the extent of the destruction, with flames causing severe damage to the building.
Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the incident.
Assistant Chief Fire Officer Darren Cook praised firefighters for preventing the blaze from spreading further.
“Crews worked hard to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to neighbouring units.
“I’d like to thank all crews for their professionalism and hard work, and fire control colleagues for their calm and efficient handling of the calls.
“Sadly, we can confirm that a number of animals were inside the building at the time of the fire and did not survive.”
Residents in the area were advised to keep doors and windows shut as thick black smoke rose from the site. Road closures were also implemented along Aspenden Road and London Road while emergency services responded to the scene.
Fire officials confirmed that no people were injured in the incident and that the premises were unoccupied when the fire broke out.
