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The zoo is expected to re-open on Sunday, officials said.

\"Duty staff that live on site at the zoo were on the scene immediately, and started moving animals to safety,\" an earlier statement Saturday said.

The fire at @zsllondonzoo is now under control but crews will remain on the scene throughout the morning damping down the fire which has affected a cafe and a shop https://t.co/VqBLKK6gMj #londonzoo pic.twitter.com/DH3wjg3xCO

— London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) December 23, 2017

The statement Saturday morning said, \"At present one aardvark is currently unaccounted for.\" London Fire Brigade station manager Clive Robinson said part of a nearby petting area was affected. The aardvarks, which are native to Africa and can grow up to 100 pounds and more, are available for meeting in the petting area.

\"An
AP
An aardvark, presumably of no relation to the one missing at the London Zoo, in a photo from the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa, in April 2012.
>

The zoo said \"a number\" of staff members were being treated for smoke inhalation.

Fire officials said 72 firefighters worked to control the fire.

\"The zoo will remain closed until further notice, and we will work closely with fire investigators to determine the cause of the incident,\" according to a statement from the zoo.

We continue to damp down the fire which damaged a cafe and shop at #LondonZoo this morning. The zoo is closed until further notice today while their staff assess the situation. Follow @zsllondonzoo for updates. Our latest statement is here https://t.co/VqBLKK6gMj pic.twitter.com/Yq3E5oBN0e

— London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) December 23, 2017
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