Three animals have died in a fire that ripped through Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World near Telford, Shropshire, forcing the attraction to close on Monday. The animals were personal pets of the owners, not part of the zoo's collection.
Fire broke out in zoo office
Owner Will Dorrell said in a video update that the fire started around 7 AM in the zoo office. It was discovered 30 to 45 minutes later by the owners and a staff member.
"Fortunately, at that time the fire was contained to within the building, but sadly, three animals did lose their lives," Dorrell said. "We lost some stick insects, a hedgehog, and a snake, all of which were personal pets ourselves and not part of the zoo. We are absolutely devastated about it."
Owners hospitalised as precaution
Dorrell's wife and father were taken to hospital after suffering smoke inhalation but were later discharged. "They both ended up in hospital, but I'm very, very pleased to say that they're both back now," he said. "They were just taken to be checked over for smoke inhalation... they're both absolutely fine."
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
Fire service praised
Dorrell praised Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service for preventing the fire from spreading to neighbouring wooden buildings. The zoo office was "completely gutted", while the first aviary suffered minor damage, which he hoped was "hopefully rectifiable".
"Without Shropshire Fire and Rescue, that wouldn't have been possible, and we probably would have lost significantly more, a lot more animals," he added.
Zoo to reopen Tuesday
The zoo is set to welcome visitors again on Tuesday, with Dorrell asking patrons to "bear with us" as repair work continues. He assured anyone with bookings that they would be contacted to reschedule. "Those of you haven't yet been in touch with us, we will be reaching out over this evening and into tomorrow... offering to rebook your tickets," he said.
Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World recently earned the title of second-best zoo in the UK for the second year running, according to Tripadvisor users, and was also voted the ninth-highest rated zoo in Europe earlier this year.
