As fire raged around Mogo Zoo, 'not a single fire truck' came | jennynoise
As a raging inferno surrounded the grounds of Mogo Wildlife Park on New Year's Eve, the zoo's director Chad Staples feared it was getting on top of the 15 zookeepers who'd committed to stay and fight to protect the hundreds of animals housed at the site. He made two triple zero calls asking for help. None came.
Chad Staples, director of Mogo Wildlife Park, says the zoo survived the New Year's Eve bushfire without assistance from the RFS.Mr Staples said that, in the weeks leading up to New Year's Eve, the zoo had consulted with the Rural Fire Service and told authorities of its plan to stay and defend the property. It was expected as part of the plan that "if needed, they would send resources to us", he said.
Mr Staples said he was not attributing blame to the RFS, which had volunteer crews battling "horrendous" bushfires threatening lives and properties across large sections of the NSW South Coast that day.But he did question why the state did not have more resources ready to deploy, given the severe weather forecast and large active fires in the region.
"Of course I think more resources were needed, and I certainly hope that in the wrap-up to these events and the royal commission that I'm sure will follow ... I don't believe blame is the right thing, but you hope it will help make a better plan for the future."Just over a fortnight since the inferno arrived at its door, staff at Mogo zoo are busy cleaning up, carrying out repairs, and trying to return a sense of routine for the animals, all of whom survived.
Construction has already started on a new veterinary hospital for these animals, using an existing slab and walls that had been intended for a new off-display enclosure."That's where we see our skill set being the most useful for the South Coast," Mr Staples said."The numbers are very low at the moment. That's the scary thing. You would have expected to be inundated and we're far from it.
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