Fire kills 13 monkeys at Woburn safari park

Thirteen monkeys have died in a fire at Woburn safari park in Bedfordshire, believed to have been sparked by a faulty generator.

The blaze started in the patas monkey house within the drive-through enclosure of the park in the early hours of Tuesday. It was spotted by security guards on a routine patrol and three appliances from the Bedfordshire fire brigade attended.

A spokesman for the safari park said: “Devastatingly for everyone at the park, none of the 13 animals could be saved. All other animals within the jungle drive-through enclosure are being monitored, but early signs suggest that they have not been affected.”

The park will remain open but the jungle enclosure will be closed.

The fire comes 10 days after a blaze at London zoo killed an aardvark and four meerkats.

A safari park spokesman, Drew Mullin, told Sky News an initial investigation by the fire service suggested a generator fault was to blame.

“We must now clear up and look after the staff,” he said. “They are devastated. They build up a bond with the animals. We will keep the jungle closed for today, tomorrow and the next few days and then we will make a decision about reopening.”

Bedfordshire fire and rescue service said: “We have concluded that it is likely that the fire started accidentally in a generator.”

A spokesman said its firefighters had gone to the safari park at 2.37am and found the patas monkey house ablaze with its roof fallen in. They spent more than two hours at the scene before the incident was declared closed at 4.46am. The building was 90% damaged by the fire.

Patas monkeys, also known as hussar monkeys, are found in the open grasslands of central Africa. They have long limbs and their back legs are so powerful that they can reach speeds of up to 35mph (56km/h), making them the fastest primates in the world.

According to the safari park’s website, the monkeys had 6.5 hectares (16 acres) in which to roam but were confined to their house at night-time during the winter.

The Captive Animals’ Protection Society said the fire showed the dangers animals were exposed to in zoos.

Nicola O’Brien, a campaign manager for the charity, said: “It’s just one of the risks of having animals trapped in cages. It must have been an absolutely horrific death for them. Obviously accidents do happen, but we do think it calls into question the whole point of why we place animals in captivity in the first place.

“You’re taking animals and putting them in an unnatural environment which risks their welfare. When a fire happens [in captivity] there’s nothing they can do. Patas monkeys are a species that in the wild could react very fast.”

London zoo’s annual stock take was due to take place on Tuesday, but it said it had been postponed as a result of last month’s blaze. The annual count will now take place next month, as will that at Whipsnade zoo which, like London zoo, is owned by ZSL (Zoological Society of London).

The fire at London zoo broke out at about 6am on 23 December in the animal adventure section, destroying a cafe, shop and about half of the adjacent petting zoo. It reopened to visitors the next day.