Heartbreak at safari park
Colony of 13 monkeys killed after blaze rips through enclosure
THIRTEEN monkeys died in a devastating fire that tore through an enclosure at Woburn Safari Park yesterday.
The zoo’s entire colony of patas monkeys was killed as the blaze spread through the building where they were kept overnight.
Fire crews spent two hours extinguishing the flames in the monkey house in the African Jungle section of the Bedfordshire attraction but said most of the structure was alight before they arrived and the roof had collapsed.
The African Jungle site – which also has a troop of Barbary macaques and mountain bongo, a type of antelope – is one of the zoo’s most popular attractions but was closed to the public yesterday.
The rest of the safari park remained open. Reduced ticket prices were being offered to visitors. A spokesman said: ‘All the other animals within the jungle drivethrough enclosure are being monitored but early signs suggest that they have not been affected.’
An investigation has been launched, with initial checks suggesting that the fire was caused by a generator.
The tragedy happened just ten days after an aardvark and four meerkats were killed in a fire at London Zoo, which also destroyed a cafe, shop and part of an adjacent petting zoo. Officials are still trying to establish the cause.
The fire at Woburn was discovered by security guards on a routine patrol at around 2.30am. Staff were joined by three fire crews within minutes but the owners said ‘devastatingly for everyone at the park, none of the 13 animals could be saved’.
The patas monkeys normally live outside but are kept in the monkey house at night during the winter months.
Station commander Paul Goddard, of Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue, said the crews were ‘surprised at the amount of animals still in the cage [which] couldn’t get out’ while they were tackling the blaze.
Some members of the public blamed the deaths on the caging of animals. One said: ‘ Thirteen monkeys killed, another reason why animals should not be caged up in a zoo, firstly London Zoo now this, shame on the owners.’
But others defended the attraction. One wrote: ‘Anyone that has been to Woburn Safari knows what a great park it is. This is just a terrible freak accident.’
In May last year the Mail revealed the drive-through enclosure had been kept open after the Barbary macaques tested positive for a strain of tuberculosis.
The investigation into 170 zoo inspection reports obtained under Freedom of Information laws found concerns were raised anonymously to council chiefs by employees who feared dismissal if they complained to zoo bosses. The park said visitors were not at risk of infection.
A whistleblower also said a Barbary macaque that escaped three times in one day, ending up near a public footpath, posed a ‘danger to human life’ – a claim Woburn denied. It was also revealed a peacock that was quarantined with bird flu died of starvation when staff forgot to check on it.
However, in the most recent safety report by the local authority, there were no concerns raised about the park’s ability to respond to a fire.
The zoo has previously asked visitors not to feed the patas monkeys, which have a strict diet. Items being left for them included lollies, fizzy drinks and even alcohol.
Patas monkeys originate from Africa, where their natural habitat is open grassland, wooded savannah and dry woodland.
They grow up to 34in in length, while their tails can be 30in long.
Adult males weigh around 26lb and females 14lb. Both have a lifespan of around 20 years.
According to website UK Zoos, the only other place in the UK that houses patas monkeys is Colchester Zoo in Essex.
The monkeys are the park’s most-loved animals because they often climb on cars as visitors drive through.
A fire service spokesman said last night: ‘We have concluded that it is likely that the fire started accidentally in a generator.’
It is believed that the enclosure which the monkeys were kept in had only been built last year.
Drew Mullin, a park spokesman, told Sky News: ‘Nothing could be done to save the 13 patas that were inside.
‘Everybody here – staff, animal keepers – are all devastated.’
‘A terrible freak accident’