Cheshire Fire and Rescue has confirmed that no animals have died in the fire at Chester Zoo.
A large fire broke out earlier today in the Monsoon Island enclosure, which is home to more than 21,000 animals - including orangutans, gibbons and crocodiles.
Staff at the zoo evacuated visitors and animals, with reports of some of the larger mammals being led out wearing blankets to protect them from the cold air.
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A number of firefighters attended the scene and attempted to get the blaze under control.
Thankfully, it's since been announced that all animals are safe and there are no injuries reported.
The service also said that 15 fire appliances were at the scene following the fire.
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Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, one eye-witness said: "We saw the fire as we arrived, we thought it may be the zoo but we went into the car park anyway.
"The building which was on fire looked like it was made from some sort of highly flammable material because it was just burning away.
"One of the members of staff said it was one of the islands where the fire was.
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"He said around 40 animals had been evacuated, people were still in there but they were getting told to leave."
A number of shocking videos and photos were shared on social media, showing large plumes of smoke coming from the zoo.
Visitor Frank Riding tweeted to say: "Not at all what I expected to witness today at Chester Zoo.
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"It's very upsetting to see and judging by the speed I watched the fire grow, I'll be surprised if there are no animal casualties."
The zoo has shared a number of updates on social media, in which it has confirmed the zoo remains closed and that visitors were evacuated.
Featured Image Credit: David CloughTopics: uk news
