Animals killed and staff left devastated as fire rips through 'Britain's second-best zoo'

Animals have been killed and staff have been left in hospital after a fire tore through one of Britain's highest-rated zoos.

The blaze erupted in an office at Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World near Telford on Monday, with Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service scrambling to the scene.

The zoo, which sits on a former farm, is rated Britain's second-best by Tripadvisor users.

Owner Will Dorrell confirmed on social media last night that some animals had died in the fire, leaving staff devastated by the loss.

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"We are saddened to announce that several stick insects, a snake and a hedgehog have died as a result of this morning's fire at the zoo," he said.

"These animals were privately owned by the zoo's owners and have never been on display to the public.

"The owners are devastated at the loss of these animals but would like to thank Shropshire Fire and Rescue for all of their efforts in trying to extinguish the fire."

Mr Dorrell stressed that the animals which perished were not part of the zoo's public collection.

They had been kept privately by the owners and had never been exhibited to visitors.

Fire crews arrived swiftly enough to stop the blaze reaching nearby wooden buildings surrounding the office.

The office itself, however, was completely "gutted" by the fire.

Hoo Zoo remained shut throughout Monday but is set to reopen today.

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Mr Dorrell asked that visitors "please bear with us and sort of excuse the mess" while the team works to tidy up and cordon off the damaged area.

An earlier statement from the zoo confirmed that staff had been checking on animals across the entire site to ensure they were unharmed.

Visitors with bookings for Monday were asked to email the zoo to rearrange their trips.

Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World has claimed the runner-up spot in Tripadvisor's UK zoo rankings for the second year in a row.

It was also named the ninth-best zoo in Europe earlier this year.

Chester Zoo topped the UK list in the same survey, which is compiled from customer reviews on the travel website.

Mr Dorrell described the ranking as unexpected, given that there were "some fantastic zoos in the UK and in Europe".

His family has run the site, originally a working farm, since 1988.

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