Affenhaus in Krefeld: New shocking details about fire catastrophe on New Year's Eve

In a major fire in Krefeld, the zoo's monkey house burned down - more animals than initially thought died as a result. The two surviving monkeys seem to be recovering.

• On New Year's Eve , a devastating fire broke out in Krefeld Zoo .
• The monkey house burned down completely - almost all monkeys died.
• A sky lantern is the cause of the fire - women didn't know what triggered it.

Update from February 16, 2020, 9:02 p.m .: Several weeks after the devastating fire of the monkey house in the Krefeld Zoo , the exact extent of the disaster is slowly becoming clear. The dpa now reports, citing a template for the city council, that more than 50 animals were caught by the fire
should have been killed - around 20 animals more than initially assumed. The two

Chimpanzees that survived the fire are on the mend, according to the zoo earlier.

Fire in Krefelder-Affenhaus: Ruin is demolished

The ruins of the zoo are to be demolished in the next few days. The first step is to remove the steel roof tops. According to the city administration, the noise caused by the demolition work will be a "special challenge", which is why it may be necessary to relocate the neighboring gray kangaroos.

Fire catastrophe in Krefeld: comedian is enjoying himself - how the surviving monkeys are doing

Update from January 22, 2020: After the fire in the Krefeld Zoo, the two surviving chimpanzees are still on the mend. Male Limbo has been showing impressive behavior again since last Friday. He ruffled his fur, knocked loudly on metal doors and waved branches, a spokeswoman said. "He didn't do that before."

This shows that the chimpanzee continues to stabilize psychologically. This dominance behavior of the male chimpanzee is normal for the female Bally. "The nurses are relieved," said the spokeswoman. A commemorative event to support the zoo is planned for Friday (January 24) in Krefeld.

According to the zoo, the external wounds of the two chimpanzees have healed. You have a new, shielded domicile in the indoor facilities of the gorilla garden on the premises - but without contact to the gorilla family living in the zoo. In the long term, Bally and Limbo should move to another zoo and ideally live there with other chimpanzees, the zoo said.

Update of January 21, 2020: After the tragic fire in the Krefeld Zoo, the dismay in Germany does not decrease even three weeks after New Year's Eve. Comedian Felix Lobrecht now felt this too. As picture reports, the 31-year-old apparently enjoyed himself about the fire in the monkey house. In his current stage program, Lobrecht should say: "I also think monkeys burn really well. Because of their fur. They always wear a jacket made of lighters. ”

This should not have been well received by all fans, as Bild further explains. The comedian himself has not yet commented on his macabre statements.

Update from January 15th: In the meantime there are new details of the fire drama in Krefeld. A police officer had to point a submachine gun at a monkey.

Update of January 7, 2020, 9.42 a.m .: 21 animals died on New Year's Eve in the fire catastrophe in Krefeld Zoo . Only the chimpanzees "Bally" and their son "Limbo" were lucky and survived the fire with minor burn injuries. On Monday, the Krefeld Zoo informed via Facebook about the current health status of the two monkeys .

They are in good health six days after the fire. “You have burns on your hands, feet and face, but your coat is completely preserved. Both eat and drink well. They are currently still in the hospital rooms, but will move into the third, invisible section of the gorilla garden interior in the next few days, ”says the Facebook page.

The zoo is also commenting on current rumors about a burial site. “The zoom workers, who had been in close contact with the animals for many years, spoke out against an urn burial site on the zoo grounds as part of their grief management. The zoo management will respect this wish, ”the post said. In the far future, a memorial site in the zoo should be set up.

Monkey tragedy in Krefeld: Sky lantern company explains after macabre advertising

Update of January 6, 2020: After the British company Night Sky was criticized for its tweet, which called on consumers to let only high-quality sky lanterns from Night Sky rise, the company reacted. In several tweets, Night Sky apologized and pointed out its own involvement in several charities.

We never intended to sway anyone's opinion but we are try to inform people on the latest progress and innovation available today
The code of practice by DEFRA clearly explains how to responsibly use sky lanterns https://t.co/pv892CuRih

The company just wanted to point out the latest sky lantern standards and responsible use, according to one of several tweets below.

Thank you for the comments
We are grateful to all participants for increasing awareness on this terrible accident
We are not surprised to see people feeling so passionate about Krefeld's tragedy, which should have never happened
Since 2009 we have been advocating responsible use

Night Sky thanks for the comments and awareness for the terrible accident in Krefeld.

Sky lantern company: Macabre advertising after ape house drama in the Krefeld Zoo

Update of January 4th, 8:43 pm: The tragedy of New Year's Eve is still difficult to understand, but now a British company is shocking with a truly tasteless advertisement. According to investigators, the monkey house in Krefeld burned down by a so-called sky lantern. The UK company Night Sky Lanterns uses this fact to promote their own product.

The company, which produces and sells such sky lanterns, said on Twitter that it would raise 30 of its own sky lanterns in memory of the dead monkeys and other animals. The tweet after the fire in the Krefeld zoo says: “Let's light 30 sky lanterns to commemorate this tragedy. Hopefully that will help remind everyone to only use sky lanterns made of high quality materials. ”

This message is far from well received by the company's customers. The anger of some users is promptly discharged via Twitter.

We are deeply sad for the loss of over 30 animals / apes at #KrefeldZoo #RestInPeace
Lets lit 30 sky lanterns to remember this tragedy
Hopefully this will help reminding everyone the importance of choosing only sky lanterns made with high quality materialshttps: //t.co/eZfDtvYEYN

Update of January 4th, 12:28 pm: The German Animal Welfare Association has already requested it, now four animal parks are moving in to Anhalt . After the monkey fire in Krefeld, they demand a ban zone for fireworks around zoos. The zoos in Halle , Magdeburg , Aschersleben and Köthen argue, among other things, that the animals reacted with great stress to the crash of rockets and firecrackers .

The firecrackers could land in the zoo facilities and start fires there. Local politicians are now on the move. "A 500 meter wide strip around the facilities would make sense for centrally located city zoos," said Alexander Beck, head of the Aschersleben Zoo, the Mitteldeutsche Zeitung .

Zoo boss: After Krefeld accident, rethink fire protection for animals

Update of January 4: The devastating fire in a monkey house in Krefeld is also causing other zoo bosses to think: From the Karlsruhe zoo boss's point of view, zoos should adjust their fire protection measures. "We have to take a more differentiated approach to the topic," said Matthias Reinschmidt of the dpa . It is conceivable, for example, to install new fire alarms that react to sudden temperature fluctuations. In addition, more inspection tours and combined indoor and outdoor enclosures where animals can get out day and night could create more security. Especially on New Year's Eve, a kind of security zone around zoos could better protect animals, he said.

Under no circumstances should the fire in Krefeld be a reason to generally question the keeping of monkeys in zoos , said Reinschmidt: "We see ourselves as centers of species conservation ." Specially for endangered species such as orangutans, you need every available space. From around one million orangutans on Earth, there are now only 50,000 in the wild - also because more and more forests are being cut down. According to him, 1200 orangutans currently live in zoos. In his opinion, there should be more to ensure genetic diversity.

The Krefeld Zoo, meanwhile, has been open to visitors again since Friday two days after the accident - "but with a generous barrier around the burned monkey house, " as the zoo Facebook page said. “We can understand that many of you would like to visit the building to say goodbye; However, we also fear spectators and therefore ask for understanding for this measure, "continued the zoo.

Sad news for surviving monkeys - this threatens the suspect women

Update 9:36 pm: Despite the tragic accident that caused the sky lanterns, zoo spokeswoman Petra Schwinn takes the mother and her two daughters under protection: “Our sympathy is also with the women. Because it is very clear, I believe, that these three women acted with a clear conscience. They could never have imagined that they would trigger such a catastrophe. "

And further: "It is an incredible accident that will certainly accompany us - and also the three women - for life."

Chief detective Gerd Hoppmann said at a press conference on Thursday that the women would have made a "very responsible" impression if the five death lanterns had been ordered online - and thought that they could be let go.

They were surprised by the masses of water in the middle of the night: five people drowned in boiling water in Moscow.

Update 3.20 p.m .: Three women volunteered to the police after the fire in the Krefeld zoo and admitted that they had forbidden to light the sky lanterns. According to initial findings, one of them triggered the fire in the monkey house. Now the police are investigating the 60-year-old mother and her daughters. However, it remains to be seen whether there will actually be a conviction.

"The problem is that it must first be clarified here which sky lantern is exactly responsible for the accident," the picture quotes lawyer Oliver Allesch about the incident. Each of the three women had to be able to prove exactly who lit which lantern. The lawyer also says: "If it cannot be clarified which lantern is specifically responsible for the fire, all those affected should actually be acquitted or their prosecution must be stopped in the preliminary proceedings."

Affenhaus fire in Krefeld: Sad news for surviving monkeys - witness describes dramatic details

Update 1:15 pm: Miraculously, two chimpanzees survived the devastating fire in the Krefeld zoo. A total of 21 monkeys were killed, including eight great apes. “Bally” and her son “Limbo”, on the other hand, were lucky and survived the catastrophe, they sustained minor burn injuries. The zoo spokeswoman Petra Schwinn told the picture: "We can not say anything about the trauma that they have suffered."

The two chimpanzees are currently in a transitional enclosure. It is not yet clear in detail how the animals will continue in the long term. What is certain, however, is that they "will not stay in the Krefeld Zoo in the long run". According to Schwinn, other zoos offered to take in the chimpanzees.

There will be no funeral for the remaining monkeys who died in the fire. The law stipulates that the animals must be brought to an appropriate processing plant. However, a funeral service is planned for the zoo staff.

Update 10.50 a.m .: After the three women responsible for the fire in the Krefeld Zoo after the catastrophe, the police are now investigating the 60-year-old mother and her two daughters. The perpetrators can face severe punishment after the fire in the monkey house.

Affenhaus fire in Krefeld: video shows cruel pictures - eyewitness: "The fire rises and rises ..."

Update from January 3, 2020, 9.54 a.m .: The tragic New Year's Eve drama in the Krefeld Zoo, it affects thousands of people. More than 30 animals died from a fire in the monkey enclosure. "The sympathy is huge," Zoo spokeswoman Petra Schwinn told the Bild newspaper. "People came from all over North Rhine-Westphalia, even Belgium, to lay flowers and candles."

The perpetrators themselves are desperate. There are three women from Krefeld. A mother and her two adult daughters (30 to 60 years old) turned themselves in to the police on New Year's Day. They had heard on the radio that a flying sky lantern had started the fire in the monkey house. The police said that the women had five such paper lanterns mounted.

The head of the investigative commission Gerd Hoppmann: "They are extremely sorry."

The Bild newspaper spoke to an eyewitness who calls himself Bilal and filmed the inferno: It shows the cruel scenes when the monkey enclosure burned down. "The fire rises and rises and does not stop," he explains his pictures. However, he could not see how the fire started. When they discovered the fire, the acquaintances called Bilal's fire brigade and police.

As we now know - the help came too late for most monkeys.

Update of January 3, 2020, 6.43 a.m .: After the devastating fire in the monkey house, the zoo in Krefeld will reopen on Friday from 9 a.m. There will be a funeral service for the animals that died in the flames. Only two chimpanzees had survived in the flames.

In Australia, violent forest fires are currently raging, and have already claimed several lives. Thousands of people have to flee the fire in the southeast of the country. A selfie by fire fighters from Detroit causes outrage for a completely different reason.

Affenhaus fire in Krefeld: zoo expert with fierce criticism - outdated construction

Update from January 2, 2020, 8:50 p.m .: The monkey house in the Krefeld Zoo has only recently passed a fire protection test. Nevertheless, the devastating fire started. Zoo expert Willie Smits from the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation called for a rethink in an interview with Bild : “In 1975 the Krefeld Zoo was a role model for others. But that was almost half a century ago. ”In the meantime, however, there are new insights into the construction of enclosures. Above all, it is important that there are always accessible outdoor enclosures. Then the monkeys could have gotten out on their own.

Smits hopes that other zoos with old facilities "will take measures as soon as possible to reduce the risk to the great apes." For him, great apes are not animals, he tells the paper. "They are beings with feelings, with a soul. When you look an orangutan in the eye, you see another person. That's why we have to deal with orangutans like people. ”

After the press conference, the “Deutsche Tierschutzbund eV” also criticized the fire protection measures in the Krefeld Zoo. According to the Krefeld Zoo officials, no fire alarms were installed in the monkey house due to a gray area under building law. “After this catastrophe, this has to be critically examined. It is now a matter of hurriedly tightening the building law and checking and retrofitting existing animal enclosures. New buildings may only be approved if fire protection is guaranteed, ”demands Thomas Schröder, President of the German Animal Protection Association.

Affenhaus fire in Krefeld: drama about three suspicious women - harrowing details

Update from January 2, 2020, 1.30 p.m .: On Thursday noon, the Krefeld police and the public prosecutor inform about their current investigation results: According to this, the suspected culprits of the Krefeld zoo fire are three women between the ages of thirty and sixty Years: According to Chief Prosecutor Jan Frobel, a mother with her two adult daughters had lit five sky lanterns and let them rise - the handwriting on the lanterns can be attributed to the three women. The police found four lanterns, the fifth lantern may have caused the devastating fire.

Krefeld Zoo accused are "in shock"

According to the police, the three women volunteered on New Year's Day and without a lawyer - they are listed as accused. According to Karin Kretzer from the Krefeld police , the three women show particular regret: “They are so sorry for everything. The women are in shock ”. All three are now at large again. The women have to answer for the negligent arson, face imprisonment for up to five years or a substantial fine.

Women thought the sky lanterns were legal

"People bought the sky lanterns on the Internet and wanted to let them rise with good wishes," said Gerd Hoppmann , head of the criminal police department , apparently the women did not know that the sky lanterns were prohibited. Hoppmann added: “I think it's very decent that the women have contacted me. The fact is largely cleared up ”. The investigators did not want to disclose any further details about the suspects.

Hoppmann said about the condition of the dead animals that the animals had died from smoke poisoning or burn injuries - the burned animal carcasses resembled human corpses, the experienced investigator Hoppmann explained.

The supermarket chain Real also reacted to the Krefeld animal tragedy during the press conference: it takes the "Sky Lantern" product, which is banned almost everywhere in Germany, from its online shop.

The two surviving Krefeld chimpanzees are doing well

The spokeswoman for the Krefeld Zoo, Karin Kretzer, also had relatively good news at the press conference on Thursday: “The two surviving chimpanzees are doing well, given the circumstances. They got food and drink from their carers and accepted it. ”The two chimpanzees could no longer stay in the Krefeld zoo because the ape house could no longer be built due to the large fire damage and was torn down.

"We are overwhelmed by the sympathy of the population," said zoo spokeswoman Kretzer - the Krefeld zoo had already received many donations and pledges for donations ( donation account of Zoo Krefeld gGmbH: Sparkasse Krefeld, IBAN: DE 41 3205 0000 0000 0070 70, BIC: SPKRDE33XXX, purpose of use : Donation monkey house ). The zoo will reopen on Friday - a memorial service is planned for the zoo employees.

Krefelder Zoo director is concerned: "This is incredible"

Update of January 2, 2020, 11:37 a.m .: On the night of Thursday in front of the Krefeld Zoo, a sea of ​​candles reminded of the more than thirty burned animals. "This is incredible," said Zoo Director Wolfgang Dreßen on Thursday morning in an interview with WDR2. For the employees, in addition to caring for the other animals, the focus is now on mourning processing . "The pain that is there is incredibly deep." There are still no concrete ideas of how things will go on with the burned-down monkey house and the breeding of animals that are partially endangered in the wild, said Dreßen. But he is responsible for keeping apes in the Krefeld Zoo, said the director.

Several great apes died in the fire on New Year's Eve , including orangutans, gorillas and a chimpanzee. The police are investigating for negligent arson. Investigators believe that a sky lantern lit at the turn of the year could have started the fire. According to the "Bild" newspaper, the sky lanterns are said to have been hand-lettered, according to the chief of the criminal police , Gerd Hoppmann . The zoo remained closed on Thursday.

Burned down monkey house: Forbidden sky lanterns to blame for inferno? Possible polluters report

Update of January 1, 2020, 9:01 p.m .: It is a tragedy - more than 30 animals had no chance. At the fire inferno in the monkey house of the Krefeld Zoo, 21 monkeys died, including eight great apes. With them, fruit bats and birds from the African rainforests fell victim to the flames. "Miraculously, the chimpanzees Bally and Limbo survived the devastating fire," wrote the Krefeld Zoo on its website.

The zoo will remain closed to visitors on Thursday (January 2, 2020). The zoo also thanks on the Facebook page for the sympathy: “And again we would like to thank everyone for the overwhelming wave of compassion and offers of help that reach us both online and offline. Thank you ”, can be read there.

Gorilla male Massa was the oldest gorilla living in a zoo at 48

One of the oldest zoo gorillas in the world died in the fire. Gorilla male "Massa" lived in Krefeld Zoo for 45 years. He was 48 years old, as reported by focus.de . His partner Boma (46) is also dead. The population of the Borneo orangutans has been completely wiped out.

Gorilla male "Massa" (archive photo 2010) has lived in Krefeld Zoo since 1975.

© Horst Ossinger / dpa

Monkey house burned down: Possible causes report

Update at 16:52 : 30 animals died in the fire in the Krefeld Zoo. The monkey house burned down completely. Police continue to investigate the cause of the fire. It is believed that a forbidden sky lantern could have caused the fire in the monkey house.

Several people reported to the Krefeld police on Wednesday afternoon (January 1, 2020) that they had started so-called sky lanterns on New Year's Eve. These sky lanterns made of thin tissue paper have been banned in North Rhine-Westphalia since 2009.

The people who are considered to be possible causes of the fire in the Krefeld Zoo have been questioned and their information will be checked, the police said. Since the verification of the information would take some time, the investigators plan to disclose information about the circumstances and suspects on Thursday.

An expert would also be currently investigating the location of the fire. Results would not be available until Thursday (January 2, 2020).

Orangutan Mama Lea (25) died at the fire inferno at Krefeld Zoo (archive photo from 2016).

© Roland Weihrauch / dpa

Monkey house burned down: Forbidden sky lanterns are said to have triggered inferno - two animals survive

Update at 3 p.m .: The people responsible have now spoken of a million damage in the Krefeld Zoo. In photos you can only see the steel frame of the monkey house. In the fire on New Year's Eve, the building burned down completely; most animals died. The Mayor of Krefeld, Frank Meyer (SPD), described the fire as "tragedy for the whole city".

Meanwhile, the animal welfare association was "shocked" by the incident. In the opinion of those responsible, the fire is "terrible proof of the dramatic consequences of uncontrolled rabies". Because of the flame inferno from Krefeld, the animal protection association called for protection zones in which private fireworks should be prohibited.

Big fire at Krefeld Zoo: surviving monkey couple "a miracle"

Update at 1.30 p.m .: There is talk of a miracle: As the Krefeld Zoo announced in a press conference, two monkeys survived the flame inferno of the monkey house on New Year's Eve against all expectations. Numerous monkeys died in the fire - including two gorillas, a chimpanzee and five orangutans. But the chimpanzees Bally and Limbo, who were already believed to be dead, survived - and according to the current status only suffered minor burns.

Fire in Krefeld Zoo: On New Year's Day, the full extent of the devastation was revealed.

© dpa / Christoph Reichwein

Burnt down monkey house: Forbidden sky lanterns are said to have triggered inferno in the Krefeld zoo

Update at 1 p.m .: Apparently forbidden sky lanterns triggered the fire of the Krefeld monkey house. More than 30 animals died on New Year's Eve, and the huge building was robbed by the flames. At a press conference, details of how the big fire could have come to light, RP Online reports.

According to this, several of the so-called sky lanterns were found in the rubble. These are small balloons that are made to fly with fire . These have been banned in many German states, including NRW, for many years. According to the police, the sky lanterns could, according to current knowledge, be the cause of the fire in the Krefeld zoo.

According to the Bild newspaper, the police are currently analyzing the sky lanterns found. According to the criminal police, they were labeled by hand - the police asked those responsible to surrender. Witnesses should also report.

Raising sky lanterns can cost up to 5000 euros. In principle, approval is required - but this is rarely granted due to the acute fire hazard to the environment. The paper lantern has a burning time of up to 20 minutes and can reach an altitude of up to 400 meters . Leaving sky lanterns near airports is generally prohibited.

Sky lanterns (archive picture): They apparently triggered the devastating fire of the monkey house in Krefeld, in which dozens of animals died.

© picture-alliance / dpa / Salzgitter Ag

Krefeld / Zoo: New Year's tragedy: monkey house burns down - many animals dead! Chimpanzees are dying

Update at 10.15 a.m .: According to current information, more than 30 animals were killed in the fire at the Krefeld monkey house. The zoo announced this on Wednesday morning. According to this, residents at 0.40 a.m. alerted the fire department. When the fire department arrived, the monkey house was already completely on fire.

There will be a press conference at 12 p.m. on New Year's Day. A zoo Facebook post has collected thousands of comments expressing dismay. The Krefeld police also spoke on the social networks. The officials are "deeply affected," it said in a Twitter post.

#Police #Krefeld is deeply affected. There was a bad fire in the monkey house in the #Zoo. The cause is not yet clear. Many animals have died. The Kripo has started the investigation. Notes to 021516340. We will inform you when there is new information.

New Year's tragedy at Krefeld Zoo: monkey house burns down completely - many animals die

Original announcement from 6.35 a.m .: Krefeld (North Rhine-Westphalia) - On New Year's Eve, an animal tragedy occurred in the Krefeld zoo. The monkey house , in which orangutans and chimpanzees lived, has burned down. Firefighters fought the flames for hours. The fire is said to have started shortly after midnight.

Krefeld Zoo confirmed on New Year's morning: Many animals in the monkey house are dead

At 5.50 a.m., the zoo confirmed via Facebook: “Our worst fears have become reality. There are no surviving animals in the monkey house. ”Only the gorilla garden was spared. The zoo spoke of an "incredible tragedy". The zoo remains closed on New Year's Day, the employees are "in shock". Zoo spokeswoman Petra Schwinn said in response to a picture request that the fire department had offered the help of emergency counselors to the zoo employees.

Fire in Krefeld Zoo on New Year's Eve: More than 30 monkeys died.

© picture alliance / dpa / Alexander Forstreuter

Fire in the monkey house in the Krefeld zoo: chimpanzees and orangutans had no outside facilities to escape

The monkey tropical house, which was built in 1975, offered the animals space of 2000 square meters. Only a dry ditch separated human visitors from the monkeys. In addition to the great apes, marmosets, agoutis, fruit bats and birds were also housed. Until now there was only an outdoor facility for the gorilla senior group - but not for the orangutans and chimpanzees. This became fatal for these animals because they had no way of escape.

In many zoos, however, the animals are brought to soundproofed inner enclosures on New Year's Eve anyway, such as from 4 p.m. in Munich's Hellabrunn Zoo (tz.de * reported). The bang is a burden for the animals, and many are sensitive to the light reflections of the fireworks. The Munich zoo therefore appeals every year to keep away from fireworks and not to celebrate near the facilities.

Fire in Krefeld Zoo: Criminal investigation determined - cause of fire still unclear

The dpa learned from the fire department that the cause of the fire is still completely unclear. The Kripo determined. The city of Krefeld and the zoo have announced a joint press conference for New Year's Day.Krefeld's first mayor Frank Meyer is said to have visited the site of the fire at night , according to picture information.

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The three-star restaurant "Schwarzwaldstube" was an institution - not only in Baden-Württemberg. The exclusive restaurant has now been completely destroyed in a fire.

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There was a fire in an arms workshop near Saarbrücken. Several floors exploded.

* tz.de and echo24.de are part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network

with dpa

List of rubric lists: © dpa / Hella Hellmann