Giraffes among 10 animals killed in barn fire at wildlife park
At least 10 animals have died in a barn fire at a wildlife park in Ohio.
The blaze began at about 6.15pm on Thursday at the African Safari Wildlife Park in Port Clinton.
Three giraffes, three bongos, three red river hogs and a springbok are thought to have died. Springboks and bongos are types of antelope.
A zebra and a giraffe managed to escape and were later recaptured.
The park, which was closed on Thursday for Thanksgiving, had been due to reopen on Friday.
The only person there when the blaze broke out was a manager and gamekeeper who lives in the grounds, Danbury Township police officer Carolyn Demore said.
The gamekeeper noticed his power flickering and saw the fire when he walked outside, park co-owner Holly Hunt told local media.
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In a post on Facebook, it added that it was “devastated by the loss of animals housed in a barn destroyed by fire that was discovered early Thanksgiving evening”.
It added: “We are grateful that our staff is safe and no one was injured, but the loss of the wildlife that we care for every day is tragic for our team members who love these animals.
“We are still assessing the loss of wildlife that was housed in the barn for overnight care and security.”
The attraction is a drive-through park, where visitors can watch and feed the animals across its 100-acre site.
