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| Monkeys saved after Birmingham nature reserve arson attack | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Two spider monkeys were saved by firefighters after an arson attack at a nature reserve. | |
| Crews were called to a blaze in the monkey house at Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park at about 23:00 BST on Thursday. | Crews were called to a blaze in the monkey house at Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park at about 23:00 BST on Thursday. |
| Paul Bayliss, from Bournbrook fire station, said: "The fire was at one end and the monkeys were hiding in another." | Paul Bayliss, from Bournbrook fire station, said: "The fire was at one end and the monkeys were hiding in another." |
| Monkeys Rosie and Gucci were unharmed but the enclosure has been damaged. | Monkeys Rosie and Gucci were unharmed but the enclosure has been damaged. |
| West Midlands Police said the fire was being treated as arson. | West Midlands Police said the fire was being treated as arson. |
| Mr Bayliss said: "It was a confined enclosure, but there were trees going above so it was a case of getting in there and getting the fire out." | Mr Bayliss said: "It was a confined enclosure, but there were trees going above so it was a case of getting in there and getting the fire out." |
| Once it was extinguished, firefighters worked with the keepers to keep the animals inside until the enclosure was secure. | Once it was extinguished, firefighters worked with the keepers to keep the animals inside until the enclosure was secure. |
| Mr Bayliss added: "The smoke actually did us a favour: where there was a big hole created by the fire, the smoke kept them back, but they became more inquisitive and started coming closer and we would be ushering them back. | |
| "Then the keepers came and they were feeding them bananas to keep them in." | "Then the keepers came and they were feeding them bananas to keep them in." |
| The park is closed to the public on Friday, but it is hoped it will reopen on Saturday morning. | |
| Manager Lee Basford said it was "appalling" that someone would target a sanctuary for animals in this way. | |
| He praised the "tremendous efforts" of the fire service, and said the monkeys would have to be temporarily rehomed at Dudley Zoo due to the damage to their enclosure. | |
| Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone. | Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone. |