By Johannes Malinowski
Berlin has its heraldic animal back after seven years!
Three brown bear brothers have moved to the Berlin Zoo. The three four-year-old animals have previously lived in the Orsa predator park in Sweden. Because it’s closing soon, a new home was needed. The European Conservation Breeding Program (EEP) has chosen the capital’s zoo as the new home of the three.
The last time a European brown bear lived in the Berlin Zoo was seven years ago. Brown bear Siddy (25) moved from Berlin to the zoo in Wuppertal (NRW).
Brown bear Lillebor is also moving to the Berlin Zoo Photo: Orsa Rovdjurspark
The bear trio is currently getting used to their new home. The zoo has installed an automated food distribution system and a honey tree where the bears can find sweet juice several times a day. Now they have to get used to their new territory. And the neighbors – the European wolves – are also sniffed. At the beginning of the autumn holidays, the bears will also be visible to the public.
Although European brownberries are among the largest predators, they eat a mostly vegetarian diet of berries, fruits, roots, grasses and herbs most of the time.
Momoa is the third brother in the bear league Photo: Orsa Rovdjurspark
The Berlin Zoo accompanies the arrival of the bears with an interactive exhibition about the brown bear and its habitat. In addition to playful activities such as hibernation, the conflicts that can arise when humans and brown bears meet are also discussed.
“As a symbol of our city, the brown bear not only has a permanent place in the hearts of Berliners, but now also has a home again at Berlin Zoo,” says zoo director Dr. Andreas Knieriem (58). “More than 3.6 million people from near and far visit Berlin Zoo every year. We would like to use this opportunity to introduce them to the fascinating beauty of animals and plants and thus raise their awareness of how to treat nature with respect.”
Brown bears are considered extinct in large parts of Europe, in Germany for more than 150 years. They have occasionally resettled in neighboring countries such as Italy, Austria and France.