Winder Zoo building catches fire

The zoo operates as a sanctuary for unique and non-releasable state wildlife.

WINDER, Ga. — Various animals at a Winder zoo have been killed just after one particular of their structures caught on fireplace Monday night.

The Hand Me Down Zoo, a sanctuary for exotic and non-releasable state wildlife shut its doorways at 8 p.m. Monday, and by 10 p.m. a person of its properties was engulfed in flames.

Kerry Ervin, the zoo’s proprietor, reported 52 animals were lost in the fire, most of them ended up reptiles and birds that lived in the creating. 

The fire’s issue of origin was identified to be a mini-break up AC device on the primary degree of the making, in accordance to a fireplace marshal at the Barrow Fireplace Department. 

In a Fb post on Tuesday Ervin shared her appreciation for the Barrow Fire Office for serving to save the animals. 

Monday night time we are seasoned any animal proprietors worst anxiety. Our developing caught hearth. We had shut down for the night at 8pm. By 10pm the constructing was engulfed in flames. Initially responders had been on the scene ASAP but the making was also powerful. Regrettably irrespective of very best endeavours we misplaced numerous species. Most of our reptiles and all of the birds housed in the constructing did not make it. We do offer an incredible amount of money of appreciation for Barrow Fireplace Section for rescuing as quite a few animals as they could. It was quite extraordinary observing these fellas choosing up porcupines and other less then helpful animals with no issue to their particular person protection. They saved most of our mammals on the primary amount. The fire Marshall has established level of origin to an mini break up AC unit on the key stage.

I’d like to individually thank all of the Barrow County Fire Division, EMT, Sherif Division and Animal Manage for going above and over and above to help you save the lives of our animals. I’d also like to thank Lisa, Sara, Cera, Brittany, Kayla, Jenn, Nicki, Sandee, Cyndi, Jake and Tammie (and your people) for swooping in and shutting down their entire world to aid with mine. You know I appreciate you all dearly and my planet would never ever do the job without the need of you. Thank you to Stephanie with Service Masters for assisting us control the hurt as immediately as feasible. And to Hoschton Animal Clinic for generally getting prepared to assist our babies with the really like and interest they will need.

To all of our local community and supporters here’s how you can help:

Give me time. I appreciate that you all want to jump appropriate in but we require a second to determine out what we need to figure out. Our priority is always the animals 1st so as soon as we get them harmless and ok we can figure out the relaxation.

Please be patient with us. We are sorry to mess up any spring split options you had but the animals arrive to start with. We will work towards reopening for tours quickly. Our principal building will be closed for a even though but we will however be equipped to vacation to faculties and exterior areas. We hope to open the safari stroll back up as it was not afflicted by the hearth.

Donations: we will be placing up a go fund me soon to assist with health care for the animals and to rebuild. If you would like to donate as a result of our PayPal or zelle you are welcome to do so in the suggest time.

PayPal — [email protected]
Zelle—- 706-429-4591

We are not a non earnings so we can not give a donation receipt. If you are donating ALL money go right to the zoo. We do not pull an profits from the zoo so rest assured your support is going to the correct trigger.

Physical support: of course we require bodies shortly but not just still. As we identify how to move ahead with the making we will need assist gutting, cleansing, rebuilding. If you are wanting to aid be sure to concept the zoo right. Bonus to any one with handyman skills, electrical or plumbing or developing backgrounds. Sad to say owing to the protection pitfalls of performing about animals and the setting up particles we can not have younger kids concerned through volunteering. For liability explanations we just can threat it.

If you are a business and you’d like to sponsor us with resources or services please allow us know either by messaging the zoo or providing us a phone at 706-429-4591

We still have animals that are not out of the woods. We will abide by this publish with an In Memory Of publish so we can celebrate the memories of the sweet infants we missing in the fire.

Posted by HAND ME DOWN ZOO on Wednesday, April 6, 2022

“It was really impressive observing these fellas finding up porcupines and other significantly less than helpful animals with no problem to their individual safety,” the submit reported. 

Whilst the initial responders were brief to arrive at the fire, it was “also extreme” and inspite of their efforts, lots of species were lost. Ervin stated that fireplace crews stopped her from moving into the burning making. 

“I would have misplaced my lifestyle in that developing if they experienced not stopped me. I would not have considered two times about it. Which is how a great deal they necessarily mean to me,” she explained. 

The Florida indigenous first opened the zoo in 2015 as a silent sanctuary for legal animals in Georgia. Her eyesight was to provide a spot in which individuals could appear and see how pets these kinds of as guinea pigs, rabbits and reptiles should really be taken care of. 

In 2019, the silent sanctuary commenced having in exotic animals and point out wildlife. 

“We bought licensed via DNR and USDA at that level to be able to acquire in everything from zebras to kangaroos, deer, raccoons, foxes. So our job now is to aid a place for animals to go,” mentioned Ervin. 

The sanctuary is a location exactly where most of these animals deemed illegal in Ga can keep forever as an alternative of being euthanized. 

Ervin explains that the zoo’s insurance will not address the damages in the making considering that the construction is getting viewed as a business enterprise.

“We will have to be capable to do this on our individual,” she claimed. 

She is asking the general public for time and assist as they attempt to make your mind up how to prepare the rebuild approach.

“We do have a great deal of men and women reaching out wanting to help. If we have men and women out there that can donate time, labor, supplies that cost or even donate fiscal means, we are additional than glad to have that,” said Ervin. “We do require a small bit of time to determine it out and make positive that we know what we want and when we need to have it and how we require it.”

Their online fundraiser confirmed that $2,620 has been elevated as of Thursday morning.  The fundraiser’s purpose is $75,000.

Before the fireplace, the zoo was offered to the general public on an appointment-only basis. Now, Ervin reported that they hope to open up their safari place before long although they preserve the destroyed making closed for the rebuild. 

“We do hope to open up at the very least the safari space that has not been affected by the fireplace. Regretably, our private face tour in our major building will almost certainly be shut down for a superior when,” she claimed.

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