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Fire kills animals at zoo in western Germany

Authorities have not commented on local media reports that the fire was started by celebratory fireworks.
Credit: AP
Firefighters stand in front of the burning monkey house at Krefeld Zoo, in Krefeld, Germnay, Wednesday Jan 1, 2020. A fire at a zoo in western Germany killed a large number of animals in the early hours of the new year, authorities said. (Alexander Forstreuter/dpa via AP)

A fire at a zoo in western Germany in the early hours of the new year has killed a large number of animals. 

Authorities have not commented on local media reports that the fire was started by celebratory fireworks. The Krefeld zoo near the Dutch border said the entire ape house burned down and all the animals inside are dead. 

The dpa news agency, quoting officials, said the dead animals included chimpanzees, orangutans and two gorillas, as well as fruit bats and birds. The zoo said the nearby Gorilla Garden was spared and gorilla Kidogo and his family are alive. 

The zoo remains closed on Wednesday.

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