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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Rebecca Speare-Cole

Scores of animals including chimpanzees and orangutans killed in fire at German zoo

Firemen work at the burning monkey house of the zoo in Krefeld (Picture: DPA/AFP via Getty Images)

A huge fire at a zoo in western Germany killed a large number of animals in the early hours of the new year, authorities said.

Krefeld Zoo, near the Dutch border, said the entire ape house burned down and all the animals inside died.

Chimpanzees, orangutans, fruit bats and birds were all claimed by the inferno, according to reports.

The zoo said on Facebook that the nearby Gorilla Garden escaped the flames and that gorilla Kidogo and his family are alive.

"An unfathomable tragedy hit us shortly after midnight." the zoo said.

"Our ape building burned down to the foundation."

Both the zoo and city officials said they did not know what had caused the fire and that police are investigating.

They would not confirm local media reports that New Year's Eve fireworks could have started the blaze.

The zoo remained closed on Wednesday.

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