A fire broke out Thursday at the African Safari Wildlife Park in northern Ohio, resulting in 10 animals killed, Danbury Township police said.
Authorities say firefighters received a call just after 6 p.m. Thursday about a fire at a barn housing animals at the park. The barn was reportedly housing ten animals, including; three giraffes, three red river hogs, three bongos, and a springbok.
"Our African Safari Wildlife Park team is devastated by the loss of animals housed in a barn destroyed by fire that was discovered early Thanksgiving evening," a post on the park's Facebook page read. "We are grateful that our staff is safe and no one was injured, but the loss of the wildlife that we care for every day is tragic for our team members who love these animals."
"The animals lost in this tragedy were part of our African Safari family, and the Park will be closed on Friday as we mourn their loss and care for the other animals living on the 100-acre Park," Hunt wrote.
The fire was first spotted by a caretaker after a power flicker on the property on Thursday. The facility also briefly lost power on Wednesday, park co-owner Holly Hunt told CNN.
Officials are still assessing the damage and are still looking into the cause of the fire. An investigation is on-going to determine the cause of the fire, Hunt's post read.
The wildlife amusement park located in Port Clinton, Ohio, was established in 1969 and allows visitors to drive through their park and meet and feed a wide variety of wildlife, including camels, giraffes, and zebras. Walk-through tours are also available for visitors to attend educational feedings of animals like porcupines, kangaroos, and gibbons, according to park's website. The park features more than 50 species of animals during the summer.