The former owner of the award winning Mogo Zoo, near Batemans Bay, is devastated as a bushfire is expected to head directly towards the attraction.
A fast moving bushfire has been decimating everything in its path on the New South Wales south coast and it appears the zoo could be affected.
The Daily Telegraph reports the zoo has been placed in lockdown, the animals have been locked inside and everyone is hoping for the best. Sprinklers have been working overtime to get the place nice and damp before the fire arrives.
Firefighters and trucks aren't able to get into the area, meaning the zoo's fate hangs in the balance.
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The former owner of the zoo, Sally Padey, has told the Daily Telegraph: "I hope they are going to be OK. It's the worst thing to happen in the history of Mogo Zoo."
All precautions have been made for the animals and staff at the zoo are doing their best to ensure that everyone gets out safely. So far, there have been no injuries or deaths at the attraction.
The blaze is a part of the Clyde Mountain Fire and it's currently at an Emergency level.
The Rural Fire Service has written this advice: "A strong southerly change is expected across the fireground. This will push the fire in a northerly direction. While you may not be at threat now, the fire may reach your area.
"Seven dangerous fires are burning between Batemans Bay and the Victorian border. These fires moved quickly this morning. They pose a serious threat to life. Do not be in their path. Avoid bushland areas. If the path is clear, move to larger towns or beaches to take shelter."
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For people in the Mogo area, they're advised to 'continue to monitor conditions', 'if your plan is to leave, leave early in the morning before fire threatens', and 'follow your bush fire survival plan, and know what you will do if the fire threatens'.
In nearby Bateman's Bay, power has been lost in the CBD and the sky has been turned into an ominous black and red.
There are massive queues of people in their cars trying to escape the threat of the fire.
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A separate fire on the Victorian coast has also captured the attention of Australians across the country.
Pictures uploaded to social media show Mallacoota coated in an apocalyptic red glow as the intense inferno edges closer to the coastline. Thousands of people have been evacuated to the beach and many are donning lifejackets in case they need to jump into the ocean.
The sun should have shone through early this morning however for people who evacuated to the wharf, it was nearly pitch black until 9am.
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Gippsland resident, Francesca Winterson, told the ABC that everyone is doing their best.
"It's not pleasant, it's pitch dark here and the emergency vehicles have disappeared from sight," she said.
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"The power's been out here a long time and we've run out of solar. My home's in the fire path, I won't have a home, that's just the way it's going to be, we have to try and be calm."
It's too early to say how many homes have been lost in the area and in Victoria in general as many of the bushfires are still raging.
Featured Image Credit: Mogo ZooTopics: News, bushfire, Animals, Australia
