Fire destroys lemur shed at Hoo Farm in Telford

The animals were unharmed as they were all outside in the forest when the blaze took hold, however the Lemur Walk at the popular visitor attraction has been closed while the housing is rebuilt.

Owners of the farm at Preston on the Weald Moors have praised the keepers and firefighters who managed to contain the fire which broke out at around 1.10pm on Friday.

Two fire crews brought the blaze under control within 40 minutes and said the aluminium enclosure was fully involved in the fire. No animals were involved or injured.

In a statement on social media, a spokesperson for the farm said it had been their worst nightmare.

"The cause is still not confirmed but it is thought that a new heat lamp may have been faulty," they said.

"Fortunately all the Lemurs were in the forest at the time so were unharmed and thanks to the quick thinking of our fantastic keepers and the local fire department the flames were contained.

"However the Lemur shed is totally gutted along with some of the framework of the enclosure."

The spokesperson said the Lemurs would not be affected by the loss of their shed.

"The Lemurs have heated beds in their forest so will be fine whilst repairs take place but, for obvious reasons, it will mean that the Lemur Walk will remain closed for the foreseeable future.

"We appreciate this will cause a huge amount of disappointment to visitors but the Lemurs' welfare at this time has to be paramount."

Anyone wanting to rearrange pre-booked tickets should email info@hoo-zoo.com.