Born Free’s Head of Animal Welfare & Captivity, Chris Draper, said: “This is an upsetting tragedy and we extend our sympathies to the keepers of the animals killed. The fire must have been truly terrifying for people and animals alike. We hope that a detailed inquiry will be undertaken to help to ensure that such an event cannot happen again at this or another zoo.”

While the details of the fire are not yet clear, it remains to be seen if this tragedy could have been prevented by improved monitoring of the zoo. Born Free is concerned that zoos cannot guarantee the safety of staff, visitors and animals, and is campaigning for substantial changes to be made to the frequency and detail of licensing inspections of zoos across the U.K.