NewsNational

Actions

10 animals housed in barn at African Safari Wildlife Park in Ohio perish in fire

Posted at 9:13 PM, Nov 28, 2019
and last updated 2019-11-28 21:34:03-05

The African Safari Wildlife Park in Port Clinton, Ohio, is mourning the loss of 10 animals it housed in a barn that caught fire Thanksgiving evening.

Firefighters from Danbury Township, Catawba Island and Port Clinton all responded to the blaze, according to authorities.

In a message posted on the park's Facebook page, park officials said they are still assessing how many animals perished in the fire.

"We are grateful that our staff is safe and no one was injured, but the loss of the wildlife that we care for every day is tragic for our team members who love these animals," park officials said on Facebook.

According to authorities, 10 animals died in the fire. They are: three bongos, three giraffes, three red river hawks and one springbok. A zebra managed to escape the fire.

The fire was caught on camera and posted on Facebook. You can watch it in the player below. (Video credit: Megan Marie Lenthe)

The park will be closed on Friday.

Port Clinton is located 45 miles east of Toledo, Ohio.

This article was written by Drew Scofield for WEWS.