Staff at a UK zoo are working to protect animals after a huge fire broke out this morning.
Visitors have been evacuated from Chester Zoo after the blaze erupted at the zoo’s Monsoon Forest habitat.
Footage posted online appears to show huge plumes of smoke coming from the roof of the indoor habitat.
Critically endangered Sumatran orangutans and other mammals have been accounted for - with teams are working hard to account for all other species.
We can confirm that the fire brigade is attending a fire in our Monsoon Forest habitat.
Visitors have been evacuated and asked to leave the zoo as teams work to bring the situation under control.
The zoo's animal teams are working to move all animals away from the incident.
— Chester Zoo (@chesterzoo) December 15, 2018
“Visitors have been evacuated & our response team is working alongside emergency services to bring the situation under control,” the zoo said in a tweet.
“The zoo is now closed. We’ll update as soon as we can.”
It said the zoo’s animal teams are “working to move all animals away from the incident.”
Monsoon forest is the largest indoor habitat in the UK according to the zoo website.
It is home to tropical animals and plants including crocodiles, monkeys and exotic birds.
The zoo is home to 21,000 animals.
Fire at Chester Zoo - hope humans and animals evacuated safely - fire crews arriving on their scene. @CheshireLive pic.twitter.com/AI7R2ARANW
— David Alan Wearing (@DWearing1972) December 15, 2018