A fire has claimed the lives of reptiles, insects and a male otter at the Five Sisters Zoo at Polbeth, West Lothian, a town about 12 miles (20 kilometers) south of Edinburgh in Scotland. The fire broke out early Sunday morning, in the reptile house of the zoo at about 03:50 AM BST, 14 Apr 2013. A "fierce" fire that took 11 fire engines and around 50 firefighters several hours to bring under control.
No one was injured in the fire, but many animals in the single-story building perished.
As many as 80 animals are feared dead. Reptiles, otters and insects have died in the fire at the zoo's tropical animal house. It is understood that all the animals in the reptile house, which included tortoises, turtles, lizards, geckos, snakes and iguanas, have died also. A colony of 500,000 leaf cutting ants were lost as well as crickets and stick insects. Firefighters were able to rescue two dwarf crocodiles and an otter.
"Sadly, some animals have perished in the fierce fire," the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said in a written statement. "Full details of the animals affected will not be available for some time until it is safe for zoo staff to access affected areas."
The cause of the fire is yet unknown and investigations will be conducted.
(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)
