A zoo director was dubbed a hero after evacuating several animals to his own home in order to make sure they stayed protected from raging bushfire.
The incident occurred at Mogo Zoo in NSW, Australia, where Chad Staples and his team put their lives on the line to protect the animals at the zoo and make sure none of them get injured or killed by the blaze that was closing in on the small town.
As Staples revealed, he considers the zoo animals to be his family which is why he willingly opened the door of his home to animals from the most exposed parts of the zoo.
“It was like Armageddon, it was black as midnight with tinges of red,” the hero zoo boss recalled in an interview with ABC.
“There were calls for evacuation of the town at about 6am this morning, but the zoo’s plan was always to defend the site as we can make it safe here for the animals.
“And thanks to the amazing team that just loves these animals like they’re family, we were able to do so. It was amazing. Right now in my house there are animals of all descriptions in all the different rooms so they’re safe and protected.”
Not only did Staples and his team evacuate as many animals as possible but 15 keepers also stood their ground armed with hoses and water to make sure the fire wouldn’t spread into and destroy the zoo.
“We had staff in every corner making sure everyone and every animal was safe. It was hell. You can still see the flames just across from us,” the zoo boss told the Daily Telegraph.
Fortunately, the team’s joint efforts paid off and not a single animal got injured as the bushfires were passing through the region.
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Replaced!