HORRIFYING NEWS FROM MY BIRTHPLACE

'They are so sorry': An 'ordinary middle-class' mother, 60, and her two grown-up daughters are facing up to five years in prison after admitting they illegally set off the Chinese lanterns that destroyed a German zoo's monkey enclosure - killing 30 animals

By Sophie Tanno, Chris Pleasance and Tim Stickings

Daily Mail
January 2, 2020

The suspects responsible for a fire at a German zoo which killed dozens of animals are a mother, 60, and her two adult daughters believed to be in their 30s, Krefeld police have confirmed.

The three women from Krefeld in western Germany lit five paper Chinese lanterns and launched them into the sky on New Year's Eve, despite a ban on the objects, which they had ordered online without a permit.

They handed themselves into police after learning of the disaster on the news, in which the entire ape house burned down and more than 30 animals, including five orangutans, a 48-year-old silverback gorilla called Massa, a chimpanzee and several monkeys, as well as fruit bats and birds, were killed just after midnight on New Year's Eve.

Criminal police chief Gerd Hoppmann described the women as 'completely normal people who seemed very sensible, very responsible'.

Hoppmann added that it was 'courageous' of them to hand themselves into police after learning of the fire, saving them a lengthy investigation. 'That is courageous. It stands for something that they handed themselves into the police like that. It is a decent thing to do and earns my respect,' he said.

He said that they fear reprisals. The suspects could either face up to five year's jail time or be hit with a fine.

According to Hoppmann, the internet companies selling the lanterns provide no warning about the countries they are banned in and there was nothing in the product description that could have informed the buyer.

Many Germans welcome in the new year legally with fireworks at midnight. Sky lanterns, however, are both mostly illegal and unusual in Germany. The mini hot-air balloons made of paper have been used in Asia for centuries.

Authorities are investigating on a single charge of 'negligently criminal fire', which carries a maximum sentence of up to five years in jail.

Police admitted that the incident was an 'exceptional' one.

Four of the five lanterns have been recovered by authorities.

Analysts studied the handwriting on one of the lanterns and inspected the burned-out animal enclosure at Krefeld Zoo, as well as analysing wind and weather patterns to determine those responsible and the exact details surrounding the case.

According to investigators, the fire was ignited in the north-eastern corner of the cage before strengthening and spreading, and the animals were either burnt to death or killed by inhaling toxic smoke. 'I've seen very many human corpses,' Hoppmann said. 'And I was struck by how like humans the bodies of the great apes looked when transformed by the fire.'

The ape house had been fitted with plexiglass - a transparent plastic material - a few years ago after a hailstorm. Foliage on the roof of the enclosure may have played a role in strengthening the fire, police said.

The zoo has been criticised for not installing sprinklers within the ape house which could have prevented the fire from spreading.

The city of Krefeld is considering a ban on fireworks, in the wake of the devastating incident. Department store chain Real said on Thursday that it would stop selling the lanterns, which are still permitted in the northern, coastal region of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Five orangutans, a 48-year-old silverback gorilla and dozens of monkeys as well as fruit bats and birds were among the creatures killed in the fire which broke out within the first hour of January 1. Investigators are still working to identify all the animals that were killed in the blaze, authorities said on Thursday.

According to zoo spokeswoman Petra Schwinn, Krefeld Zoo will be reopened tomorrow but zoo officials will erect barriers around the enclosure to avoid 'catastrophe tourism' and macabre photos.

The two apes who were rescued from the burning enclosure are recovering well considering the circumstances, according to Schwinn. A funeral for the dead animals will be organised for employees of the zoo.

Photos taken on Wednesday show debris and twisted metal inside the ape house, where only two chimpanzees were rescued alive.

Yesterday tearful visitors lit candles and left flowers and soft toys at the entrance of the zoo on Wednesday. One of the tributes asked simply: 'Why?'

'Our worst fears have been realised,' Krefeld zoo, which specialises in primates, announced on its Facebook page.

The zoo near the Dutch border said that the entire ape house burned down and more than 30 animals, including five orangutans, a 48-year-old silverback gorilla called Massa, a chimpanzee and several monkeys, as well as fruit bats and birds, were killed.

Only two chimpanzees could be rescued from the flames by firefighters. They suffered burns but are in stable condition, zoo director Wolfgang Dressen said.

'It's close to a miracle that Bally, a 40-year-old female chimpanzee, and Limbo, a younger male, survived this inferno,' Dressen said.

Firefighters prevented the flames from spreading to other buildings at the zoo in North Rhine-Westphalia - meaning that gorilla Kidogo and six relatives who were in the Gorilla Garden survived the fire.

'We have to seriously work through the mourning process,' Dressen said. 'This is an unfathomable tragedy.'

The zoo director also said than many of the dead animals were close to extinction in the wild.

Krefeld zoo remained closed Wednesday and Thursday with employees 'in shock' owing to the 'terrible tragedy', management said.

Police have launched an investigation into 'arson through negligence' after the deadly blaze and a number of people who may have used the Chinese lanterns have spoken to investigators.

Several witnesses reported that they had seen the cylindrical paper lanterns with little fires inside flying in the night sky shortly after midnight.

Three lanterns bearing hand-written New Year's wishes were later discovered in the smouldering debris.

The German animal protection association quickly called for all kinds of fireworks to be banned near zoos, farms and kennels.

The deadly blaze was 'terrible proof of the dramatic consequences for animals' from 'uncontrolled' celebrations, the group said.

Chinese lanterns are a type of hot-air balloon made of paper, and have been used in Asia for celebratory events for centuries. The fire heats the air inside, making them fly and shine at night.

Hoppmann said investigators found some used lanterns on the ground that had not burned entirely. They were 13 inches, made out of white paper with an opening at the bottom where a small fire would have been suspended.

The Krefeld zoo was opened in 1975 and attracts some 400,000 visitors each year.