Fire at famed London Zoo is believed to have killed 5 animals

Officials at the world-renowned London Zoo said a fire that broke out before the facility opened Saturday morning left one aardvark dead and four meerkats missing and presumed dead. (London Fire Brigade via AP)

An intense blaze broke out at the London Zoo Saturday morning, likely killing five animals.

Zoo employees mourn the death of a 9-year-old aardvark, Misha, and potentially four meerkats who workers were unable to locate in the fire.

The staff was “absolutely devastated” upon hearing the news about Misha, zoo director Dominic Jermey said.

“We had our vet team on site immediately but sadly there was nothing that they could do,” he said.

LAST OF NEPAL’S DANCING BEARS RESCUED BY ANIMAL WELFARE GROUP

Employees at the zoo, the world's oldest scientific zoo, were treated for smoke inhalation and shock following the day’s traumatic events at the facility, located in Regent’s Park.

The fire, which started around 6 a.m., coursed through the area for some three hours before it was contained. In all, 72 firefighters arrived to battle the  blaze, which produced intense flames at first before leaving a cloud of smoke over much of the grounds.

More than 70 firefighters worked to put out the flames at the London Zoo. A few people were treated for smoke inhalation, according to reports. (Dominic Lipinski/PA via AP)

Staffers living onsite rushed to move animals as quickly as they could in the frenzied minutes after the fire started.

Workers searched in vain for the four missing meerkats throughout the day, but said Saturday evening they were presumed dead.

GAZA ZOO TRIES TO SELL LION CUBS FEARING COST OF CARE

Vets were called in to monitor the surviving animals, and zookeepers were encouraged that there were no other signs of injury.

A cause for the blaze has not yet been determined, according to London Fire Brigade station manager David George.

"Over the next few hours our specialist fire investigation teams will be searching through the debris and looking and seeing if they can establish a likely cause," he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.