Zookeepers Save 200 Animals from 'Apocalyptic' Fire by Taking Some Home or Bravely Standing Guard
A brave team of staff members from Mogo Zoo in Australia saved 200 animals from a devastating wildfire that threatened to destroy the zoo.
Mogo Zoo is home to the largest private collection of exotic animals in Australia, including primates, giraffes, lions, tigers, southern white rhinos, red pandas and snow leopards.
The 81-acre sanctuary is also directly in the path of the raging 31,000-hectare Clyde Mountain wildfire that has devastated land across Australia.
As the flames encroached on Mogo Zoo property, zoo director Chad Staples and his team had a plan in place.
#Mogo wildlife park team bravely continued to fight fires overnight #nswfires pic.twitter.com/gu3lRD3et5
— mogowildlife (@mogowildlife) December 31, 2019
Staples told ABC News in Australia that conditions were “apocalyptic,” but that he and his team were prepared to stand their ground to defend the animals and land they loved.
Several of the smaller animals, including red pandas and small monkeys, spent the night in Staples’ own home.
“Right now in my house there’s animals of all descriptions in all the different rooms, that are there safe and protected … not a single animal lost,” Staples said.
‘There’s a tiger to the back of the house.’ ???
Rangers from @mogowildlife, 10 minutes from the #AustralianFires, have had to keep some animals in their homes to keep them safe.
Sara Ang from the wildlife park says all animals and staff are safe.
? Listen via @BBCSounds pic.twitter.com/IWXIvOmMaY
— BBC Radio 5 Live (@bbc5live) December 31, 2019
The larger animal species remained at the zoo, coaxed into safer areas to wait out the fire while 15 zookeepers used hoses and water pumps to keep the ground wet and put out any spot fires that threatened to break the perimeter.
“Everything else it was safer to protect them where they call home,” Staples said.
“What we did with the dangerous animals — lions, tigers, orangutans — is encouraged them to the night den, kept them calm, like nothing was happening, and we were able to protect them at that site.”
Zookeepers worked from 6am to save Mogo Wildlife Park, which has Australia’s largest collection of primates as well as giraffes, zebras and rhinos https://t.co/ckDCHZXNBx
— The Sydney Morning Herald (@smh) December 31, 2019
The plan worked, with only a handful of animals exhibiting any signs of stress at all.
“The only animals that saw any sort of signs of stress were the giraffes and zebra, but that was more to do with the activity of keepers being all hands on deck,” Staples said.
“We were moving vehicles around that had huge amounts of water and pumps and things on them to get to spot fires.”
Staples credited his staff with executing the plan perfectly to save the animals they love “like their family.”
As Mogo Zoo ushered in the year 2020, Staples shared the organization’s one wish: a downpour of heavy rain.
“This is the New Year’s wish come 2020: come on, bring on the rain!” he said.
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