Firefighters investigating a devastating blaze at a zoo and soft play centre have discovered a baby tortoise that somehow survived the inferno.
The tortoise was found alive during the ongoing probe into the fire that tore through The Jungle Box, on the Watermill Industrial Estate in Buntingford, Hertfordshire, in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Initial fears were that every animal housed within the building had perished in the fire, with meerkats, owls, iguanas, giant tortoises and a 16-foot snake among the creatures that tragically did not survive.
Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service shared the more uplifting news of the reptile's survival on Facebook earlier today.
The service wrote: "While carrying out the fire investigation, we incredibly discovered a baby tortoise alive in the aftermath, despite earlier fears that all the animals had died."
They described it as "a small but powerful moment after a very difficult incident".
The post prompted an outpouring of relief from the public, with one commenting: "This little guy is so lucky!"
Another wrote: "Such wonderful news after a horrific event."
The tortoise was found alive during the ongoing probe into the fire that tore through The Jungle Box in Hertfordshire
|Emergency services received reports of the incident at 3am on Wednesday, prompting a major response to the scene.
A fleet of ten fire engines along with an aerial ladder platform rushed to tackle the flames as they ripped through the building.
The venue, which welcomed its first visitors in June of last year, had recently launched an exotic pets section featuring a wide variety of critters.
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Crews focused their efforts on bringing the fire under control and stopping it from spreading to nearby units on the industrial estate.
Luckily, no human casualties were reported, but the animal toll proved devastating, with investigators yet to establish what sparked the blaze amid an ongoing inquiry.
Assistant Chief Fire Officer Darren Cook said: "Crews worked hard to contain the fire and prevent it spreading to neighbouring units.
The Jungle Box in Buntingford burnt down over night, killing animals inside the venue
| HERTFORDSHIRE FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE"I'd like to thank all crews for their professionalism and hard work, and fire control colleagues for their calm and efficient handling of the calls.
"Sadly, we can confirm that a number of animals were inside the building at the time of the fire and did not survive."