woburn safari fire

Thirteen monkeys die in fire at Woburn Safari Park

"Devastatingly for everyone" at Woburn Safari Park, none of its 13 patas monkeys could be saved following the fire.

Tuesday 2 January 2018 15:41, UK

Thirteen monkeys have died following a fire at Woburn Safari Park.

The fire broke out in the patas monkey house in the the park's African Forest drive-through area in the early hours on Tuesday, a park spokesman said, with the enclosure "well alight" by the time firefighters arrived at the scene.

The roof of the outbuilding collapsed in the blaze.

In a statement, the safari park said: "Staff and fire crews attended the scene, however, devastatingly for everyone at the park, none of the 13 animals could be saved.

"All other animals within the jungle drive-through enclosure are being monitored, but early signs suggest that they have not been affected.

"An investigation is under way into the cause of the fire and whilst the park will remain open, the jungle enclosure will remain closed for investigation.

"The park is grateful to the quick response from Bedfordshire Fire Brigade, who attended with three appliances."

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The fire was spotted by security guards during a routine patrol at about 2.30am. Firefighters confirmed they attended shortly afterwards.

Safari park spokesman Drew Mullin told Sky News an initial investigation by the fire service indicated the blaze had been caused by a generator fault.

He said: "We must now clear up and look after the staff. They are devastated, they build up a bond with the animals.

"We will keep the jungle closed for today, tomorrow and the next few days and then we will make a decision about reopening."

A Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue spokesman said the outbuilding housing the atas monkeys "was well alight and its roof had fallen in" when firefighters arrived.

"They fought the fire using fire hoses while wearing breathing apparatus to protect themselves from the smoke and fumes. The building was 90% damaged by the fire."

Firefighters closed the incident at 4.46am.

It comes 10 days after four meerkats and a nine-year-old aardvark were killed in a fire at London Zoo on December 23.

An investigation into the cause of that blaze is also being carried out.

According to Woburn's website, its patas monkeys shared a 16-acre space with barbary macaques and a herd of mountain bongo.

They were free to roam all night during summer months, but would have been housed indoors during the colder winter nights.

In the wild, patas monkeys are classified as being of "least concern" so are not thought to be under threat.

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Woburn Safari Park fire: 13 patas monkeys die in blaze at Bedfordshire animal enclosure

Investigation launched after blaze leaves 90 per cent of outbuilding damaged, article bookmarked.

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Thirteen patas monkeys have died following a fire at Woburn Safari Park in Bedfordshire.

An investigation has been launched after the blaze broke out in the monkeys’ enclosure in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

A Woburn Safari Park spokesperson told The Independent no other animals were harmed.

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A statement released by the park said: “Staff and fire crews attended the scene, however, devastatingly for everyone at the park, none of the 13 animals could be saved.

“All other animals within the jungle drive-through enclosure are being monitored, but early signs suggest that they have not been affected.

“An investigation is under way into the cause of the fire and whilst the park will remain open, the jungle enclosure will remain closed for investigation.

“The park is grateful to the quick response from Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, who attended with three appliances.”

Animals take shelter from Hurricane Irma at Zoo Miami

A spokesperson for the fire brigade told The Independent : “Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service attended a fire at a monkey enclosure at Woburn Safari Park at 2.37am this morning.”

He added: “They found the outbuilding housing patas monkeys was well alight and its roof had fallen in. They fought the fire using fire hoses while wearing breathing apparatus to protect themselves from the smoke and fumes. The building was 90 per cent damaged by the fire.”

According to the park’s website, the monkeys shared their 16 acre exhibit with Barbacy macaques and a herd of Eastern Mountain antelope.

Patas monkeys are adapted to live on the ground instead of trees, and are the fastest runners among the world’s primates, reaching speeds of up to 34mph. They are found in many parts of central, western and eastern Africa.

The park remains open to the public.

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Watch CBS News

13 monkeys killed in fire at Woburn Safari Park in England

January 2, 2018 / 8:02 AM EST / CBS/AP

LONDON -- Officials say 13 monkeys have died in a fire at a safari park in England, marking the second major fire at an animal attraction in the last two weeks.

The fire started early Tuesday morning in the Patas monkey house at Woburn Safari Park, located 50 miles north of London. The enclosure is part of the African Forest drive-through section of the popular attraction.

The park said in a statement that nothing could be done to prevent the death of the 13 Patas monkeys. "Staff and fire crews attended the scene; however, devastatingly for everyone at the park, none of the 13 animals could be saved," the park said.

Firefighters found the Patas monkey house ablaze with the roof caved in when they arrived. Officials said 90 percent of the building was damaged.

It took just over two hours to control the fire.

Safari park spokesman Drew Mullin told Sky News an initial investigation indicated a generator fault may have caused the fire.  

Early indications are that other animals were not injured. The safari park houses a variety of animals including elephants, lions and zebras.

The fire follows a Dec. 23 blaze at London Zoo that killed an aardvark and four meerkats. The cause of that fire, which badly damaged a cafe, has not been established.

The London zoo Tuesday postponed its annual animal census, which is required by law in order for the zoo to maintain its operating license, because of the fire.

Officials say the cause of the Woburn Safari Park fire is being investigated. The park will remain open except for the African jungle enclosure section.

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Woburn Safari Park fire kills 13 Patas monkeys after blaze in enclosure

The blaze started in the early hours of this morning in the Patas Monkey house in the jungle drive-through enclosure

• 10:03, 2 Jan 2018
• Updated 16:12, 2 Jan 2018

Thirteen monkeys have been killed in a fire at a British zoo .

The blaze started in the early hours of this morning in the Patas Monkey house at Woburn Safari Park in Bedfordshire.

Firefighters attended but said none of the 13 animals in the jungle drive-through enclosure could be saved.

A spokesperson for the park said: "All other animals within the jungle drive-through enclosure are being monitored, but early signs suggest that they have not been affected.

"An investigation is under way into the cause of the fire and whilst the park will remain open, the Jungle enclosure will remain closed for investigation."

They continued: "The park is grateful to the quick response from Bedfordshire Fire Brigade, who attended with three appliances."

A spokesman from Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue said they arrived at the monkey enclosure at 2.37am this morning.

"When firefighters from Woburn and Dunstable Community Fire Stations arrived along with the water carrier from Toddington they found the outbuilding housing Patas monkeys was well alight and its roof had fallen in," he said.

"They fought the fire using fire hoses while wearing breathing apparatus to protect themselves from the smoke and fumes.

"The building was 90% damaged by the fire."

The service said the flames were extinguished by 4.46am.

It comes after a blaze broke out in the animal adventure section at London Zoo on December 23, destroying the cafe, shop and around half of the adjacent petting zoo.

Misha, a nine-year-old aardvark, died from smoke inhalation, while four meerkats were also thought to have perished.

It is not yet known what caused either the London Zoo fire or the Woburn Safari Park blaze.

A spokesman for Bedfordshire Police said the force was not called to the fire and officers would not be investigating.

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Fire Kills 13 Monkeys at U.K. Safari Park

By Palko Karasz

• Jan. 2, 2018

LONDON — Visitors to Woburn Safari Park, a short drive north of London, are used to seeing monkeys come close to their cars, and even climb on them.

But on Tuesday morning, the park’s 14-acre jungle drive-through was closed after a fire killed all 13 inhabitants of its patas monkey house.

The blaze broke out in the early hours of Tuesday, the park said in a statement, and had enveloped the building by the time firefighters arrived. It appeared to have started in a generator, Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said.

To visitors, the devastation was not immediately obvious: Only the affected section was closed, as it is routinely when, for example, fog makes it unsafe to drive on roads with roaming animals.

“But behind the scenes, you’ve got animal keepers who know each and every one of those monkeys,” Drew Mullin, the park’s director, told the BBC . “They know them by name, and every day when they come in, they go to see them. This morning they didn’t.”

No other animals in the park were harmed.

The park is part of the country estate around Woburn Abbey , home to the 15th Duke of Bedford. It is famous for the family’s decision , when many other British aristocrats were passing expensive-to-run stately homes to a heritage charity , to retain ownership and open their ancient seat as a tourist attraction.

They added the safari park and other attractions to the abbey, which sits in a scenic deer park amid rolling green hills and houses a large art collection.

Woburn Safari Park has not been the only such attraction to suffer grim news in recent weeks.

At London Zoo last month, a fire killed an aardvark and left four meerkats missing and presumed dead. Several employees were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation and shock.

And on Tuesday, Berlin’s Tierpark zoo announced the death of a polar bear cub . She was the second cub born to the zoo’s 8-year-old Tonja, whose firstborn, Fritz, died last year of a liver infection. Tierpark is the eastern counterpart of the Berlin Zoological Garden, whose most famous polar bear, Knut, died in 2011 .

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13 monkeys killed in Woburn Safari Park fire

Staff at Woburn Safari Park say they’re devastated after its entire troop of 13 Patas monkeys died in a fire which broke out in their enclosure – just days after several animals were killed in a blaze at London zoo. Officials said although staff and firefighters rushed to the scene in the early hours of this morning, it’s thought all the monkeys had already died before they arrived.

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13 monkeys killed in fire at Woburn Safari Park

It is not yet known how the blaze started in the monkey enclosure

• 10:38, 2 JAN 2018
• Updated 11:25, 2 JAN 2018

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Thirteen monkeys have died after a fire ripped through their enclosure at a safari park.

The fire started in the early hours of the morning at the Patas Monkey house at Woburn Safari Park, in Bedfordshire.

Firefighters were called to the scene, just off the M1 by Milton Keynes, but said none of the 13 monkeys in the jungle drive-through enclosure could be saved.

Investigation under way

A spokesperson for the park said: "All other animals within the jungle drive-through enclosure are being monitored, but early signs suggest that they have not been affected.

"An investigation is under way into the cause of the fire and whilst the park will remain open, the jungle enclosure will remain closed for investigation."

They continued: "The park is grateful to the quick response from Bedfordshire Fire Brigade, who attended with three appliances."

A spokesman for Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue said they arrived at the monkey enclosure at 2.37am this morning.

"When firefighters from Woburn and Dunstable community fire stations arrived along with the water carrier from Toddington they found the outbuilding housing Patas monkeys was well alight and its roof had fallen in." he said.

"They fought the fire using fire hoses while wearing breathing apparatus to protect themselves from the smoke and fumes.

"The building was 90 per cent damaged by the fire."

The service said the blaze was out by 4.46am.

What are Patas Monkeys?

Patas monkeys originate from Africa, where they live in open grassland, wooded savannahs and dry woodland.

They grow up to 85cm in length and their tails grow to 75cm.

Males can weigh up to 12 kg and females 6.5 kg and they have a lifespan of up to 20 years.

In Africa, Patas monkeys are hunted for meat and are persecuted as a crop pest.

Describing the Patas monkeys, a page on Woburn park website reads: "Our troop of Patas monkeys can be seen on the road safari in the African Jungle.

"Here they roam in their 16 acre exhibit with our troop of Barbary macaques and herd of Eastern Mountain Bongo.

"They are housed at night time in the winter but in the warm summer months they have 24/7 access to their large exhibit."

'Horrid news to wake up to'

Zoo-lovers have shared their sadness after hearing thirteen monkeys perished in the fire at Woburn Safari Park. Taking to Twitter, Martin Underhay wrote: "This is so sad. We love monkey world and so sad to see so many of these incredible animals being killed at Woburn." Siobhan‏ @Mum_to_4 said: "Really sad to read this. We always loved seeing the monkeys at @Woburn_Safari. "Thoughts with everyone dealing with this. Poor monkeys."

Pam graney‏ added: "So so so sad only down the road from me. Horrid news to wake up to." Some users were quick to criticise the park for caging the animals. @Fiendish_Swine wrote: Woburn Safari Park fire: Thirteen monkeys killed, another reason why animals should not be caged up in a zoo, firstly London Zoo now this shame on the owners." However, responding to the comments on Twitter, @AsherRD28 said: "Anyone that has been to @Woburn_Safari knows what a great park it is. "This is just a terrible freak accident. "Animals there are very well looked after and people forget that they have taken in numerous endangered animals from around the world, so many negative people quick to blame."

Last year it was revealed a Barbay macaque had escaped from its enclosure at the park three times in one day.

According to the BBC , the monkey's exploits were only revealed after an anonymous letter to Central Bedfordshire Council, which issues the zoo's licence.

The zoo said the incident had "posed no risk to visitors", and the monkey had not left the grounds.

Today’s fire also comes after a blaze broke out in the animal adventure section at London Zoo on December 23, destroying the cafe, shop and around half of the adjacent petting zoo.

Misha, a nine-year-old aardvark, died from smoke inhalation, while four meerkats were also thought to have perished.

It is not yet known what caused either the London Zoo fire or the Woburn Safari Park blaze.

'Don't give bananas to the monkeys'

Woburn Safari Park previously urged visitors to avoid feeding the Patas monkeys as the snacks were posing a threat to their health. The animals follow a strict diet selected by trained keepers but were taking and eating potentially deadly items from visitors due to their inquisitive nature. These included lollies, fizzy drinks, alcohol and most shockingly lit cigarettes. The public was also asked not to give the monkeys bananas - despite the misconception they are their favourite food - due to the high sugar content. A statement on the park's website read: "It's not only food and drink that keepers have to ask visitors not to give the monkeys. "Rubbish including food wrappers, drink cartons and cans, and even glass bottles are handed out of open car windows to entice the monkeys over to vehicles.

"All of these pose a serious threat to the animals' health, but most shockingly for staff is the amount of cigarettes; both lit and unlit, that are given to the animals. "Bananas are not incorporated into their diet, due the fact that human cultivated fruits have been modified to be very high in sugar, while low in protein and fibre - compared to the fruits monkeys would find and eat in the wild. "As a result, fruit can rot their teeth, cause diabetes and obesity as well as gastrointestinal problems. Visitors were asked to keep their windows up when driving through the African Forest and to report any vehicles feeding the animals to the keepers on patrol.

A version of this story first appeared on the Mirror Online .

You can keep up to date with all the latest news in and around Cambridge by downloading our free app. It is available for the iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store , or the Android version can be downloaded from Google Play .

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Fire kills 13 monkeys at Woburn safari park

Park will remain open except for affected enclosure while cause of blaze is investigated

Thirteen monkeys have died in a fire at Woburn safari park in Bedfordshire, believed to have been sparked by a faulty generator.

The blaze started in the patas monkey house within the drive-through enclosure of the park in the early hours of Tuesday. It was spotted by security guards on a routine patrol and three appliances from the Bedfordshire fire brigade attended.

A spokesman for the safari park said: “Devastatingly for everyone at the park, none of the 13 animals could be saved. All other animals within the jungle drive-through enclosure are being monitored, but early signs suggest that they have not been affected.”

The park will remain open but the jungle enclosure will be closed.

The fire comes 10 days after a blaze at London zoo killed an aardvark and four meerkats .

A safari park spokesman, Drew Mullin, told Sky News an initial investigation by the fire service suggested a generator fault was to blame.

“We must now clear up and look after the staff,” he said. “They are devastated. They build up a bond with the animals. We will keep the jungle closed for today, tomorrow and the next few days and then we will make a decision about reopening.”

Bedfordshire fire and rescue service said: “We have concluded that it is likely that the fire started accidentally in a generator.”

A spokesman said its firefighters had gone to the safari park at 2.37am and found the patas monkey house ablaze with its roof fallen in. They spent more than two hours at the scene before the incident was declared closed at 4.46am. The building was 90% damaged by the fire.

Patas monkeys, also known as hussar monkeys, are found in the open grasslands of central Africa. They have long limbs and their back legs are so powerful that they can reach speeds of up to 35mph (56km/h), making them the fastest primates in the world.

According to the safari park’s website, the monkeys had 6.5 hectares (16 acres) in which to roam but were confined to their house at night-time during the winter.

The Captive Animals’ Protection Society said the fire showed the dangers animals were exposed to in zoos.

Nicola O’Brien, a campaign manager for the charity, said: “It’s just one of the risks of having animals trapped in cages. It must have been an absolutely horrific death for them. Obviously accidents do happen, but we do think it calls into question the whole point of why we place animals in captivity in the first place.

“You’re taking animals and putting them in an unnatural environment which risks their welfare. When a fire happens [in captivity] there’s nothing they can do. Patas monkeys are a species that in the wild could react very fast.”

London zoo’s annual stock take was due to take place on Tuesday, but it said it had been postponed as a result of last month’s blaze. The annual count will now take place next month, as will that at Whipsnade zoo which, like London zoo, is owned by ZSL (Zoological Society of London).

The fire at London zoo broke out at about 6am on 23 December in the animal adventure section, destroying a cafe, shop and about half of the adjacent petting zoo. It reopened to visitors the next day .

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Safari park fire which killed 13 monkeys ‘likely to have started in generator’

An investigation is under way.

Woburn Safari Park’s entire troop of 13 Patas monkeys has been killed in a fire believed to have been sparked by a faulty generator.

The blaze broke out in the early hours of Tuesday within the African Forest drive-through enclosure of the park in Bedfordshire.

It is the second fire to strike animal centres in less than two weeks, after one that struck at London Zoo before Christmas killed an aardvark and four meerkats.

Woburn spokesman Drew Mullin said park staff were left “devastated” after the blaze ripped through the Patas monkey house, killing all 13 animals inside.

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “We have concluded that it is likely that the fire started accidentally in a generator.”

Firefighters were called to the scene shortly after 2.30am when the fire was spotted by security guards on a routine patrol.

But fire station commander Paul Goddard said he believed all the monkeys had died before crews arrived at the scene.

“They found the outbuilding housing Patas monkeys was well alight and its roof had fallen in,” a spokesman for the service said.

“They fought the fire using fire hoses while wearing breathing apparatus to protect themselves from the smoke and fumes. The building was 90% damaged by the fire.”

The fire service said the incident was over by 4.46am and the park opened later in the morning, although the jungle enclosure remained closed on Tuesday as investigations continued.

All other animals within the jungle drive-through enclosure are being monitored by park staff, but none are thought to have been affected.

The blaze wiped out all of the park’s Patas monkey troop, and, according to website UK Zoos, the only other place in the UK that houses them is Colchester Zoo in Essex.

In the wild, the ground-dwelling monkeys are found in the grassland, open savannah and dry woodland of central Africa.

They can grow up to 34in (85cm) in length, with a 30in (75cm) tail, and can live for around 20 years.

Woburn’s website states that the monkeys shared a 16-acre enclosure with other species, but were housed at night during the winter months.

“On arrival, the roof had already collapsed, and nothing could be done to save the 13 Patas that were inside,” Mr Mullin told Sky News.

“Everybody here – staff, animal keepers – are all devastated.”

The fire at London Zoo on December 23 – the cause of which is also not yet known – saw Misha, a nine-year-old aardvark, die from smoke inhalation.

Four meerkats were also thought to have perished after the fire broke out in the animal adventure section, destroying the cafe, shop and around half of the adjacent petting zoo.

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Woburn safari park fire kills entire troop of 13 monkeys

Thirteen monkeys have died in the second fire at a zoo in less than a fortnight.

The fire at Woburn safari park in Bedfordshire caused the roof of the patas monkey house to collapse, killing the zoo’s entire troop of the species. The blaze caught hold in the early hours of yesterday morning. Fire crews arrived at 2.37am to find the outbuilding in the African Forest drive-through “well alight”. They spent two hours extinguishing the fire, which is believed to have been caused by a faulty generator used to heat and light the building.

The patas monkeys roam freely during the day in a 16-acre enclosure but are locked up at night in winter.

A spokesman for the zoo said: “Devastatingly for everyone at the

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Moscow Sky Lights Up With Strange Glow After Explosion at Electrical Substation: Reports

N ew footage has emerged showing bright flashes lighting up the night sky in southern Moscow during the early morning hours of November 22.

Knewz.com has learned that there was an explosion at an electrical substation on the outskirts of Russia's capital city followed by an alleged power outage in "several" homes.

Video snippets, shared on Russian news channels like ASTRA , captured a series of flashes that caused the sky to change color. Smoke could also be seen rising from a building.

Corroborating the video, several Russian Telegram accounts reported an explosion near the south of Moscow and a subsequent fire at the Lyublino electrical substation, southeast of central Moscow, per Newsweek .

The local authorities from the area have since confirmed that an explosion occurred in the village of Molokovo, but they reassured the public that all vital facilities were operating as normal.

Russian outlet MSK1.ru reported the blaze at the substation and noted “several” power outages.

The town of Lytkarino, located to the southeast of Moscow, was one of the affected areas, as reported by the independent outlet, Meduza .

Additional power failures were reported in the southern Domodedovo section of the city. However, electricity was later restored to these areas.

One local resident speculated that a drone may have been responsible for the explosion, but additional sources are yet to support this theory.

Newsweek reported that messages on the ASTRA Telegram account run by independent Russian journalists showed residents near the substation panicking. One concerned Russian called it a "nightmare."

The incident follows an attack by Russia on a power station in southwestern Ukraine that left 2,000 people without electricity .

Knewz.com reported previously:

“ Russian forces launched a total of 38 Iranian-made Shahed-136/131 drones during the later hours of November 17 and 18.

The Ukrainian Air Force Command reported that 29 of these drones were shot down [...].

One civilian was injured as a result of the attack that targeted energy infrastructure in the southwestern Odesa Oblast.”

The assault came after repeated warnings by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky that Russia would try to cripple its power grid as winter approaches.

Ukraine's leader warned that if Russia resorted to attacking its power utilities, it would respond in kind.

Ukraine has conducted numerous long-range aerial drone strikes on Moscow since May 2023.

Most recently on November 20, it was reported that one such incursion was intercepted close to the city, per Kyiv Post .

Moscow’s Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed this and elaborated that the region's air defense systems intercepted the unmanned craft over the city of Elektrostal to the east of Moscow, as well as another over the Bogorodsky district, northeast of central Moscow.

The details of the recently surfaced video footage have yet to be independently verified.