LONDON — More than 70 firefighters battled a blaze at the London Zoo early Saturday that engulfed a cafe, killed at least one animal — an aardvark — and left some staff members suffering from smoke inhalation, the zoo said.
Four meerkats were missing, a spokeswoman for the zoo said.
The zoo, in Regent’s Park in central London, will remain closed until further notice.
The fire broke out shortly after 6 a.m. local time in the Animal Adventure section — near an area where visitors feed the animals — and spread to an adjacent gift shop and cafe, the zoo said in a statement.
Staff members quickly moved animals like llamas and camels to safety, and the fire was brought under control about 9 a.m. The zoo discovered later that a 9-year-old aardvark named Misha had died, the spokeswoman said.
“A number of zoo staff have been treated at the scene for smoke inhalation and shock,” the zoo said. “Our staff are now in the process of assessing the situation in difficult conditions.”
The London Fire Brigade said it had sent 10 engines and 72 firefighters to the scene. The cause of the blaze was under investigation.
“The fire mainly affected the cafe and shop,” said Clive Robinson, a station manager for the London Fire Brigade. “Part of nearby animal petting area was also affected.”
Continue reading the main storyThe world’s oldest scientific zoo, the London zoo dates from the 1800s and houses more than 20,000 animals, according to its 2017 inventory. The zoo is estimated to receive more than a million visitors each year.
Continue reading the main story