Fire destroys reptile house at Scotland zoo

EDINBURGH, Scotland, April 14 (UPI) -- An otter and an undetermined number of reptiles died early Sunday in a fire at a privately owned zoo in Scotland, emergency officials said.

The pre-dawn fire gutted the reptile house at the Five Sisters Zoo in West Lothian and required firefighters to pull another otter and two dwarf crocodiles to safety.

"Sadly, some animals have perished in the fierce fire," the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said in a written statement. "Full details of the animals affected will not be available for some time until it is safe for zoo staff to access affected areas."

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

Fire crews were able to prevent the blaze from spreading to other areas of the zoo, The Scotsman said.