Fire razes restaurant at Cape monkey sanctuary

A fire burnt down the restaurant at a Western Cape monkey sanctuary early on Friday, December 14 2018.

City of Cape Town fire and rescue spokesman Edward Bosch said the alarm was raised at 11pm on Thursday. By the time firefighters reached Monkey Town in Somerset West, the restaurant was well alight.

“The restaurant and outside decking were completely destroyed by fire. Fortunately, none of the resort animals were injured. The cause of the fire is under investigation,” he said.

A statement on Monkey Town’s Facebook page said: “We suffered a devastating fire at Monkey Town tonight. Our animals’ enclosures are still burning. All our animals are still safe at this moment.

“We will assess the damage when daylight comes. The restaurant on site burnt to the ground. Monkey Town is closed until further notice. Please be understanding and keep us in your prayers.”

An update later said power had been restored to the property, but telephones remained out of order.

“Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. We have a lot of damage on the property. We are all in shock as to what happened here last night. It was terrifying,” it said.

Monkey Town’s website says it is home to more than 250 primates and 26 exotic species of monkeys and ape. It houses more than 700 animals.