VIENNA, Virginia – Two giraffes were found dead on Monday night after firefighters battled a fire at a Virginia zoo, officials said.
A two-story barn at Zoofari de Roer caught fire around 5:30 pm on Monday night, news reports reported.
The two giraffes were found after the fire was extinguished.
“The zoo’s staff and veterinarian arrived in minutes to help rescue and care for about 20 other animals housed in the same area. We are grateful that no members of the team or other animals at Zoofari have been injured or lost, ”wrote the zoo on Facebook.
“We are all devastated by this incident,” said Vanessa Stoffel, owner of Zoofari de Roer.
Stoffel said one of the giraffes who died was Waffles, a 6-year-old child who came to the zoo in 2016. The other giraffe was Waffles’ new companion, who had not been at the zoo long enough to be identified, said Stoffel.
Waffles “were extremely popular with all of our employees and guests,” said Stoffel.
It is not clear how the giraffes died. The cause of the fire was not immediately determined.
A Facebook post at the zoo said it would be closed until further notice.