Fire swept through a new enclosure at the Curraghs Wildlife Park, claiming the lives of two juvenile lemurs.

The blaze completely destroyed the enclosure, which is part of a revamped Lemurs of Madagascar attraction that was due to open soon.

Two adult gentle lemurs, which only moved into the enclosure ahead of the Easter weekend, survived and are being treated at the park’s hospital unit.

Sadly, their two offspring, juvenile sisters aged three years and one and a half, perished in the blaze.

Emergency services were alerted just before midnight on Wednesday after passing road-users saw the glow of flames.

While the fire was quickly brought under control and extinguished, the new gentle lemurs’ enclosure was completely destroyed.

Fire chiefs says a preliminary investigation has concluded a faulty electric component was to blame.

The park is due to be back up and running tomorrow (Friday).

Wildlife Park general manager Kathleen Graham said staff were devastated. She said: ’The lemurs had been enjoying their new enclosure. It was about improving their habitat.

’It had been completely rebuilt and rewired and all tried and tested. That’s what so cruel.

’The adults went outside when the fire broke and were found by the keepers. The juveniles had stayed in the roof.’

Kathleen explained that the gentle lemur enclosure adjoined a much larger area for other species of lemur and the fire would set back work on this new Lemurs of Madagascar attraction by a few weeks.

The park houses lemurs as part of a captive breeding programme co-ordinated by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria. Lemurs are critically endangered and it is thought there are fewer than 2,500 left in their native Madagascar.