Six animals have been confirmed dead following an early Thursday morning fire at ZooWorld in Panama City Beach. The cause of the fire is under investigation, and the zoo will be closed Friday and Saturday.
In a statement, ZooWorld announced the deaths of six lemurs. According to the zoo, the animals died of smoke inhalation.
Local emergency responders received a call about the fire around 5 a.m. Thursday morning. It was under control by around 5:16 a.m.
Recently released body camera video from the Bay County Sheriff’s Office shows deputies arriving at a barn-like building with flames shooting up from the roof. Deputies then enter the building and walk through a hallway toward an area that glows bright with flames. One deputy kicks down a wooden door to access burning enclosures.
“We are absolutely devastated by this disaster. We loved our lemurs and, like many of our guest had a pretty special bond with the entire troop. In circumstances like these, we search hard for silver linings to guide us along our day,” the zoo said in a statement attributed to its director and posted on Facebook.
“As a leader in the zoo, I see a team that took action exactly as they were trained to do. I see animal care and maintenance staff that followed all of their safety protocols, ensuring that this was not caused by human error. I see a emergency responders from our community that showed up just as we all pray they will when called. This was a disaster and it is beyond sad. We feel every bit of that to our bones but will honor our lemurs and this park by pushing forward and rebuilding out of the rubble something that everyone will be proud of.”
Kayte Hogan is listed as the zoo’s director.
The zoo has attributed the cause of the flames to an electrical fire.
Local emergency responders received a call about the fire around 5 a.m. Thursday morning. It was under control by around 5:16 a.m.
“Our thoughts are with the staff at ZooWorld during this difficult time, and especially with the animals that were lost in the fire. We appreciate the dedication of all first responders who worked tirelessly this morning under challenging circumstances,” said the Bay County Sheriffs Office in a statement on Facebook.
