In the morning hours of yesterday the neighbors of the UD-5 of Caricuao detected that a thick and dark smoke came from inside the Zoological Park of Caricuao.
The situation began to intensify as time passed, smoke invaded the air of nearby apartments and neighbors were increasingly worried. They went to the Caricuao firefighters, whose headquarters are a few meters away from the Park, who declared their inability to act due to the failure of the water supply in the station.
An employee with 25 years of service at the Zoo affirms that "the fire was not spontaneous", it would have been provoked by pro-government political groups that live within the parish with internal complicity of some workers who are part of these groups.
The motive that led these criminals to execute this atrocious action has apparently been to justify the death of several of the zoo's specimens due to malnutrition and lack of veterinary attention, news that they do not want to be divulged and condemned nationally and internationally as happened with the case of malnutrition of elephant Ruperta last year.
The fire started in the lower part of the Park, in the area where the animals are in captivity and the breeze was causing the flares to reach the top of the Zoo, a vast expanse of virgin land belonging to the National Parks Institute (INPAQRUES) , where they inhabit an indeterminate number of animal species among which stand out the deer, iguanas, snakes, and several species of birds and rodents, this without counting the animals that have escaped from the captivity and have entered the mountain.
Access to this mountainous area is restricted to the general public, with the exception of a small area where there is a path that is open on weekends to those who wish to exercise.
The Mayor's Office of Caracas showed once again its indolence and ignored the situation during the day, as did Hidrocapital and INPARQUES. The community fears for the current state of the animals in general after the fire that was controlled at approximately eleven o'clock at night by officials of the Caracas Firefighters, after fourteen hours of destruction when they realized that the flames were about to affect a electrical plant located in the area and that could have left in the dark to several surrounding communities.
Among the most vulnerable animals of the park is a cunaguaro born last April, the animals that one day was the contact area of the Park and the much loved elephant Ruperta.
By César R. Pinto
All the photos belong to me.