Joiner offers to rebuild fire-hit zoo for free

A JOINER who regularly takes his son to a zoo gutted by fire is offering to rebuild it for free.

Derrick Findlay, 42, visits Five Sisters Zoo every month with his son, Evan, three.

He has rallied a small army of builders, plumbers, electricians, painters and decorators to rebuild the reptile house that was completely destroyed in an inferno on Sunday.

“Evan loves going to visit the meerkats and it’s devastating what has happened,” he said.

“We just want to do whatever we can to help. I have the trades here and I’m happy to give a bit back because I’m fortunately in a position where I can.

“It’s a tragic situation and it has a knock-on effect to the entire community.”

The owner of 1st Choice Glazing in Bathgate added: “We want to get the message out there that we can help. I’d hope people would do the same for me if I was ever in the same position.”

The volunteers have all vowed to give their time, expertise and materials for nothing. They’re confident they can get the site fully operational within a month – and are simply waiting for the green light from the site’s shell shocked owners.

Their kind-hearted gesture follows the revelation well-wishers have raised more than £10,000 in 24 hours to support the non-profit organisation – which was insured – while it remains closed to the public.

Nearly 50 different species, including all but two 
meerkats, perished in the blaze at the Five Sisters Zoo in Polbeth, West Calder. The reptile house, along with every animal in it, was destroyed causing the attraction to close indefinitely.

It took 50 firefighters to tackle the fire which started at about 4am.

Head zookeeper Lynn McKechnie, who helped rescue many of the animals, said she arrived to see flames licking through the roof and heard animals crying out in distress.

“I could hear the otters squealing and saw the male had signs of burn injuries to his legs and his face,” she said. “We had to move away from the area because of the fire and when we returned, sadly he had died.

“We managed to rescue the female but she had burns to her four feet and her tail. She got through the night but she is still quite ill.”

Firefighters helped zoo staff and vets rescue two baby crocodiles, which survived in the pond – as the enclosure around them burned to the ground. Lynn added she was amazed its oldest residents had survived and thanked firefighters for getting them to safety.

The incident has resulted in offers of animals and cash coming from as far away as Canada and Australia.

Donations, ranging from £10 to £100, have flooded in causing the website to crash. A three-metre Burmese python and a giant tortoise are amongst the animals to be offered.

Lesley Coupar, marketing manager at the zoo, said they had taken heart from the worldwide response.

She said: “We are just starting to come to terms with what has happened.

“If there is anything positive to come from this, it is the overwhelming response we have had to the tragedy.”

MEERKAT PAIR RECOVER

TWO surviving meerkats are being cared for by zoo keepers – after the rest of their gang died.

It had been reported on social media websites that a number of the animals could have escaped the inferno, fleeing to safety.

But hopes of any of the cute critters being found alive have now been extinguished by staff who say they are certain there are no survivors at large.

The shocked and singed surviving duo are being treated with antibiotics for their burns.

Fire crews helped zoo keepers coax a further two out of hiding, but they had to be put to sleep after vets deemed their injuries too severe. Eleven meerkats died in total.