Four lanterns were suspected to be the cause of fire at Krefeld zoo in Germany on New Year’s Eve.
Dozens of animals including apes, monkeys, bats and birds were burnt alive after an inferno swept through the monkey enclosure at a German zoo in the first minutes of 2020.
A fire which broke out at the Zoo in Krefeld, Germany is pictured from a distance in the early hours of January 1
The fire at Krefeld zoo in northwestern Germany is likely to have been caused by Chinese sky lanterns launched to celebrate the new year, said police who were called out at 12.38am.
Several witnesses reported that they had seen the cylindrical paper lanterns with little fires inside flying in the night sky shortly after midnight Wednesday near the zoo, Gerd Hoppmann, the city's head of criminal police told reporters. Three lanterns bearing hand-written New Year's wishes were later discovered in the smouldering debris.
A fire which broke out at the Zoo in Krefeld, Police said the fire at at Krefeld zoo in northwestern Germany may have been caused by Chinese sky lanterns launched to celebrate the new yearis pictured from a distance in the early hours of January 1
Police launched an investigation for 'negligently criminal fire' and hope to establish the path of the lanterns by analysing atmospheric conditions and wind direction.
The zoo near the Dutch border said that the entire ape house burned down and more than 30 animals, including five orangutans, a 48-year-old silverback gorilla called Massa, a chimpanzee and several monkeys, as well as fruit bats and birds, were killed.
Firefighters work at the burning monkey house of the zoo in Krefeld, western Germany, on early January 1
Only two chimpanzees could be rescued from the flames by firefighters. They suffered burns but are in stable condition, zoo director Wolfgang Dressen said.
'Our worst fears have been realised,' Krefeld zoo, which specialises in primates, announced on its Facebook page.
Dozens of animals including apes, monkeys, bats and birds were burnt alive after an inferno swept through the monkey enclosure at a German zoo in the first minutes of 2020
Firefighters prevented the flames from spreading to other buildings at the zoo in North Rhine-Westphalia.
'It's close to a miracle that Bally, a 40-year-old female chimpanzee, and Limbo, a younger male, survived this inferno,' Dressen said, adding that many animal handlers were in shock at the devastation.
An aerial photo shows the scale of the inferno overnight. The entire structure was destroyed killing dozens of apes and monkeys
'We have to seriously work through the mourning process,' Dressen said. 'This is an unfathomable tragedy.'
The zoo director also said than many of the dead animals were close to extinction in the wild.
A note with text 'in silent commemoration and loving memory' at the entrance outside of the zoo in Krefeld
The zoo said that in addition to the two rescued chimpanzees, the Gorilla Garden near to the Ape House didn't go up in flames and that gorilla Kidogo and six other members of his family group are alive.
The German animal protection association quickly called for all kinds of fireworks to be banned near zoos, farms and kennels.
A makeshift shrine was set up at the entrance outside of the zoo in Krefeld in the wake of the New Year's inferno
The deadly blaze was 'terrible proof of the dramatic consequences for animals' from 'uncontrolled' celebrations, the group said.
Criminal police officer Hoppmann said that the use of sky lanterns is illegal in Krefeld and most other parts of Germany and asked that the people who launched them or people who witnessed anything should come forward to police.
Several witnesses reported that they had seen the cylindrical paper lanterns (file picture) with little fires inside flying in the night sky shortly after midnight Wednesday near the Krefeld zoo, Gerd Hoppmann, the city's head of criminal police told reporters
Germans usually welcome in the new year with fireworks at midnight and private persons are allowed to buy and launch fireworks. Sky lanterns, however, are both illegal and uncommon in Germany.
Sky lanterns, which are sometimes also called Chinese lanterns, are a sort of hot-air balloon made of paper. They have been used in Asia for celebratory events for centuries.
The blaze at Krefeld zoo in northwestern Germany destroyed the entire ape house killing dozens of animals inside while fruit bats and birds also died in the fire
Hoppmann said investigators found some used lanterns on the ground that hadn't burned entirely. They were 34 centimeters (13.4 inches) long, made out of white paper with an opening at the bottom where a small fire would have been suspended.
The fire heats the air inside, making them fly and shine at night.
Hoppmann said some of the lanterns had handwritten notes on them.
The burned-out monkey house of the zoo in Krefeld pictured in the early hours of January 1
The Krefeld zoo was opened in 1975 and attracts some 400,000 visitors each year. It will remain closed on Wednesday.
The problem with sky lanterns
While sky lanterns have been around for centuries, they pose a threat in the urban environment and are restricted or banned in many countries.What a sad day! This the end of the Olympic velodrome Rio 2016. #velodrome #UCI #cycling #cyclingtrack #track #velodromo #ciclismo pic.twitter.com/oMvhWpAglT— Sidney White (Bacana) (@sidywhite_) July 30, 2017
On various occasions, the lanterns have posed a risk to the environment, property, and aviation.
In 2017, Brazil’s Olympic velodrome caught fire when a sky lantern fell on the building.
Velodrome in Rio on fire. Legacy... pic.twitter.com/K4tNl3lPAW— Jamil Chade (@JamilChade) July 30, 2017
The velodrome was used for the 2016 Olympics’ track cycling events.
Sky lanterns also threatened wildlife as birds can get entangled and killed as a result.
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This article first appeared on Mothership.sg and The Daily Mail UK.
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