Chester zoo is on fire

[KathrynOfArrogance]

And I really want to go and help the animals but I know they wouldn't let me anyway!
People are important too but the poor animals must be so so stressed!
AIBU to want them to escape :(

[TeenTimesTwo]

I think zoos like Chester and Jersey are very necessary.

Due to mainly man made habitat loss, many species are critically endangered.

Furthermore some species only exist in one location and if there were a natural disaster such as a volcano a species could be wiped out in an instant.

Zoos perform captive breeding programmes to keep a species going in case the worst happens and they become extinct in the wild.

Funds from visitors and donations go towards not only the upkeep of the zoo, but also conservation in the native countries and education of the public here and in the native countries.

The Sumatran orangutans in Jersey also love their sacking. They are also talented artists: www.durrell.org/wildlife/news/orangutan-sos/

[KitKat1985]

I'm hoping all the animals are okay.

[TinselandToblerones]

They are, they’ve got them all out.

[CatLadyToddlerMother]

New statement by Chester Zoo on their website

www.chesterzoo.org/whats-happening/zoo-news/2018/12/monsoon-forest-statement

[MrsJayy]

Och what a bloody shame I enjoyed chester zoo I hope everybody is ok what a shock for staff , visitors and especially the animals. Who have lost their homes.

[Aragog]

Thank goodness there are some wildlife parks and good Zoos around where rescued animals and those at threat of extinction can be kept safe. Our local wildlife park has many rescued animals - where would those animals go to?

[mnahmnah]

We’re members of Chester zoo and have gone regularly for years. Obviously very happy the mammals are all accounted for. But there are free-flying birds in the monsoon forest so I cannot think how on earth they would be able to catch them all to evacuate them

[ScouseQueen]

How awful. We've been many times. The monsoon forest is lovely and the birds beautiful. Hope they can find as many as possible.

[MidniteScribbler]

Good zoos are an absolute necessity. If a species becomes extinct in the wild, it is the zoo populations that can help re-establish populations and provide genetic diversity. I think that the old days of animals doing tricks behind bars is not an accurate reflection of the modern zoo where there is a big focus on natural environments and behaviours.

Many zoos have a large population of rescue animals that wouldn't otherwise survive in the wild. I was at one zoo where they were telling us that a particular animal had been brought in after being hit by a car and would have died. His injuries meant he'd never survive, but ended up living another 20 years at the zoo, and fathered many generation, many of whom had been released into the wild.

[MrsJayy]

The facebook update is saying fire fighters will stay through the night as well as zoo staff but the zoo will open tomorrow I would have thought they would have stayed closed.

[Terfing]

I hate hate hate zoos. Those poor innocent animals. 

[Crazybunnylady123]

No matter what people think of zoos they do some good.
I hope all the birds are alright and wish the keepers well.
Animals suffer so much more elsewhere in the meat trade, fur trade and animal testing.

[MrsJayy]

I also don'tthink the wild isn't all that indonesia and malaysia are over run with orphan orangutans because habitat is being desimated (sp)

[kelper]

To the previous poster that said Chester lost their oldest orang-utan last week, that wasn't Chester, it was Colchester, he was 50 years old :(
I'm glad all animals, staff and visitors are safe

[MrsJayy]

Aww yes I saw that he died bless him

[AlexanderHamilton]

Saw the news on Facebook earlier. Dh works in Chester although we’ve not been to the zoo for years c

[KathrynOfArrogance]

@kelper it was me who posted about the death of their oldest orang :(

Has anyone seen the pictures of inside after the fire, truly destroyed

[woodwaj]

Here's the croc in questiom from a few years back though. Can't find my more recent pics. I believe they are trying to account for the birds. They keep updating the post on their Facebook page. It's so sad it's a brilliant area

[CatLadyToddlerMother]

Has anyone seen the pictures of inside after the fire, truly destroyed

Those poor birds

[woodwaj]

I might be totally wrong but I think there is a flat roof accessible to staff then the dome is over that roof. (I'm sure it was filmed for an episode where an animal found his way up there?!) So I'm hoping looking at the pics the damage is to the roof and not the floor

[KathrynOfArrogance]

@woodwaj everything is scorched :(
Have a look at pics on Cheshire live

[Heyjudas]

Aw, I've a picture in my head of orangutans toddling off hand in hand with their keepers with red blankies lol.

So sad, I actually feel sadder about animals than I do about humans sometimes. Like when a horse falls in a race, I feel pain in my stomach for the horse, not the jockey.

Poor little things. I'm sure they were frightened.

[MrsJayy]

An orangutan took her baby and toddler up on the flat roof she opened the trap door and went on an adventure

[MidniteScribbler]

I hate hate hate zoos. Those poor innocent animals.

Why? What is so bad about life not being hunted, poached or poisoned? About having a great natural environment to spend your days safely in? About having healthy, well balanced food brought to you when you want it? It's not tiny cages and circus tricks, modern zoos are very big on natural environments.

People often only see the frontline of zoos with the paying public, they rarely see what goes on behind the scenes. For example, Australia Zoo is about 700 acres, but only 105 are open to the public for zoo exhibits. The rest is for wildlife conservation and rescue (including one of the biggest wildlife hospitals in the world where people can take injured wildlife and they will be treated, rehabilitated, and released if possible). They also own over half a million acres of land set aside for wildlife habitats which are closed to the public.

[nocoolnamesleft]

You're all wrong. In my mental image the orangutans are clutching about them those shiny foil blankets used to conserve body heat in disaster victims.