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Australian zoo to close "indefinitely" after ATM explosion robbery

Xinhua, May 27, 2016 Adjust font size:

Australia's Adelaide Zoo has been closed "indefinitely" after brazen thieves unsuccessfully attempted to blow up an ATM outside the complex, the zoo has said on Friday.

South Australia Police said the ATM's alarm was activated in the early hours of Friday morning, and responding officers arrived to find the scene in a mess and the machine badly damaged.

As a result of the damage sustained by the Zoo's ATM and the perimeter wall, Adelaide Zoo said it would be closed to the public indefinitely while repairs were undertaken.

The Adelaide Zoo's Russell Schrale said public safety was the utmost importance, and allowing thousands of revelers to walk around the zoo while extensive repairs to the ATM and outer wall could be risky.

"Clearly with a situation like this, it may impact on some people's day. The safety of the public is our primary concern," Schrale was quoted by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

He said the repairs to the zoo's outer perimeter would be costly, while the closure of the zoo would affect conservation work being undertaken by Zoos South Australia. Endit