A fire which erupted in the Giza Zoo yesterday, resulted in no injuries and no animals were harmed
A fire which erupted in the Giza Zoo yesterday, resulted in no injuries and no animals were harmed.
The fire started in the afternoon near the zoo##s Reptile House and took two hours and 20 fire trucks to put it off. The animals were kept in their cages for protection.
“Some wood was stacked up in an empty enclosure, and caught fire due to unknown reasons,” said Fatma Tammam, the Under-Secretary of State for Egyptian Zoos and Wildlife Conservation. “The fire was in an isolated part of the zoo and was quickly controlled.”
An investigation is being conducted by the criminal laboratory to determine the cause of the fire.
A clash was erupted between the zoo guards and journalist photographers, who were prevented from entering the zoo or taking any shots.
Giza Zoo is Egypt’s largest and Africa’s oldest zoo. It was established by Khedive Ismail and inaugurated 1891 by Khedive Tawfiq. The zoo is home to a collection of rare trees, handpicked from Asia and Africa.
According to CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) agreement, the zoo administration workers will be questioned within an international investigation. The Giza zoo is home to a number of rare birds estimated to cost USD15 million, and these rare species are endangered.
Watani International
21 January 2013