Chester Zoo still searching for animals following a fire as it launches a £50,000 fundraising campaign

Chester Zoo says it is still trying to account for all of its animals following a fire as it launches a £50,000 fundraising campaign.

A fire broke out on Saturday at the Monsoon Forest habitat, damaging its roof.

Officials at the zoo said that all mammals had been accounted for however locating other animals including birds would “take some time.”

A statement said: “We are working hard to account for all species, such as birds, and move animals to alternative habitats.

“Given that this is the UK’s largest zoo tropical house this will take some time. The zoo’s experts will be working intensively in the coming days and weeks to do this.”

The zoo has since launched a £50,000 fundraising campaign.

Staff thanked people for their support, writing on the Just Giving page: “Following on from the fire in our Monsoon Forest habitat, we’re overwhelmed by the sheer number of people asking how they can support.

“Thank you so much for your kind messages, they mean so much at this difficult time.”

Emergency services were called to the scene at around 11.40am on Saturday.

Dramatic footage shared on social media showed large plumes of smoke rising from the top of the zoo, which is home to thousands of animals.

Witnesses said high winds fanned the flames after they took hold in the inflatable roof of the building on Saturday morning.

David Clough, 50, who lives across the road from the zoo, said: "We first saw signs of the fire shortly after 11.30am. The Monsoon Forest building in the zoo's new Islands development was on fire.

"It has an inflatable roof that was burning. Lots of flames and smoke. We were very worried for the people and animals that would have been in the building."

The Monsoon Forest is home to Sumatran orangutans, Sulawesi macaques and the Sunda gharial crocodile.

It is the UK's largest indoor zoo exhibit, according to the attraction.

Chester Zoo has more than 21,000 animals and 500 different species, including some of the most endangered on the planet.