An Australian zookeeper took home monkeys, pandas, and a tiger in order to keep them safe from bushfires

https://news.yahoo.com/australian-zookeeper-took-home-monkeys-065344825.html

(Rosie Perper)
,INSIDER•January 2, 2020

An Australian zoo was able to save all of its animals facing threat of bushfires thanks to a zookeeper who sheltered monkeys, pandas, and even a tiger in his home.

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"Due to the amazing staff here and a well-executed plan, no one is hurt, not a single animal," he told the ABC on Tuesday.

"Any species of animal that was small enough, or was in an area we couldn't protect, we caught up," he told the ABC. "Right now in my house there's animals of all descriptions in all the different rooms with different pet packs so that they're safe and protected."

Sara Ang from the wildlife park told BBC Radio 5 that some of the smaller monkeys, red pandas, and even a tiger were moved into Staples' home.

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Staples told The Canberra Times that the scene staff faced on Tuesday morning looked like "Armageddon."

"The scariest thing was how fast those winds were," he said. "It got so dark it felt like it was midnight which was such a scary feeling."

He told The Times that the team on-site battled spot fires at the 65-acre park for several hours. He thanked his staff for working tirelessly to protect the animals because they "love them like their own family."

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According to the BBC, fires have burned more than 4 million hectares (9.9 million acres) of land in New South Wales.

Ecologists from the University of Sydney have estimated that nearly 500 million mammals, birds, and reptiles have been killed in the bushfires since the season started in September.

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