The animal experts are being cautious but they're hopeful for the future of several animals that escaped a weekend fire in a barn at the Henry Doorly Zoo.

Seven of the zoo's herd of 12 female Nile lechwe and two sandhill cranes died in the fire.

At zoo's across the globe, we found 250 of the waterbucks: 43 males and 207 females. That number is down to 243 after this weekend's fire.

Zoo Director Dr. Lee Simmons says they won't say anything too positive yet but things are looking better for the female waterbucks.

No males were injured because they're kept at the zoo's Safari Park in Ashland during the winter.

While the official cause is still under investigation, it could be that a starling tried to nest in a heater and brought in straw. Those are the same birds that First National is trying to get rid of using fireworks. It could also have been due to a faulty heater.

The zoo has recovered from this sort of thing before.

In January 1979 a propane heater used to keep the building's pipes from freezing ignited a bail of hay. It was a nursery.

An exotic cat called a Margay and several birds died before rescue crews could reach them but Tara the gorilla and Tobey the orangutan were pulled from the trailer. They were placed on respirators and IVs and they were watched around the clock.

The smoke inhalation proved to be too much. Both Tara the gorilla and Tobey the orangutan died.

The zoo's director says the recovery from that was more traumatic than the weekend fire.

Dr. Simmons says, "That was very much like having your children involved. It's not that antelope aren't important but people don't become as psychologically and emotionally attached as they do with baby gorillas and baby orangs."

The zoo rebuilt a hospital on the same land. It's the center for conservation research.

The zoo plans to rebuild a barn for the waterbucks.

It might be another 40 years before the antelope population at the zoo is reestablished but there's a good sign. Some of the injured appear to be pregnant and in nature, the fetus is usually protected no matter what the mother has gone through.

The waterbuck is a tough animal. Zookeepers are trying to leave them alone for now so they don't stress. They're getting medications from blow darts.

Zoo officials are currently making calls in hopes of finding five to six females to add to the herd.