SARATOV, October 26. /TASS/. A pavilion housing zoo animals caught fire in a city park in Saratov, killing over 40 animals, regional public safety chief Yury Yurin said.

"At 6:44 a.m. (5:44 a.m. Moscow time), rescuers received a message that a fire had broken out in the city park in Saratov; the pavilion with animals was ablaze. According to preliminary data, the fire killed the following animals: a Malayan civet, geckos, a boa constrictor, a central bearded agama, a parrot, a guinea pig, a chinchilla, maras, a skunk, meerkats, tortoises, and porcupines. More than 40 animals died," Yurin wrote on his Telegram channel.

The press service of the regional branch of Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said that two wooden pavilions in a private menagerie caught fire. The fire covered a 40 square meter area. Four fire brigades were engaged in extinguishing the blaze, which was put out at 7:23 a.m. (6:23 a.m. Moscow time). The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The city park’s administration reported that the fire occurred in the "Tiny Raccoon" petting zoo; no people were in the zoo at the time of the fire. "According to preliminary data, the smoke affected the python, tortoises, meerkats, civets and hedgehogs, as the pavilion housing them was engulfed in flames. Fortunately, it was possible to save some rare mammals, including a white porcupine, as well as a lemur that arrived from Khabarovsk," the park administration said, adding that there is no danger to park visitors.