Panama City Beach, Florida – On the morning of January 15, deputies from the Bay County Sheriff’s Office responded to a fire at ZooWorld, working alongside public safety partners to protect lives and property.

The blaze claimed the lives of seven ruffed lemurs. Initially, six lemurs, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and Pluto, were reported to have died from smoke inhalation. Days later, zoo officials confirmed that a seventh lemur, Venus, had also succumbed to the fire.

Body-worn camera footage from Corporal Pierce shows the emergency response as it unfolded, documenting him directing personnel and coordinating operations in a rapidly evolving situation.

Officials praised the quick, professional response of Bay County Fire and Rescue, the Panama City Beach Police Department, and all agencies involved.

ZooWorld expressed gratitude to emergency responders and highlighted the efforts of its animal care and veterinary teams. Several animals survived the fire: Baloo, a 12-year-old male binturong, and Mulan, a nearly two-year-old female binturong, showed no signs of trauma. Uranus, a one-and-a-half-year-old black and white ruffed lemur, is recovering after being removed from an oxygen incubator.

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