The managers of Dierenpark den Hof on the Vrederust estate in Halsteren are ringing. Visitors are no longer allowed to give the animals food anymore, because the health of the animals is at stake. It seems so innocent to feed animals some green leaves, but for two lamas on the Zoo Vrederust in Halsteren, that almost became fatal.
Mieke Oerlemans of farm Den Hof Tells Zuidwest TV That they took over the management of the park five years ago. Since then she and her colleagues have been taking care of the animals. “We have always hung signs to ask not to feed bread, because that can be bad for some animals. But now it is necessary to temporarily even stop feeding.”
Extremely toxic leaves
The call follows after an incident with Lama Stien, one of the two new lamas that only came to the site. “Stien was sick by a rhododendron poisoning,” explains Kim Brocatus of the farm. “Probably someone picked well -intentioned leaves without knowing that the kind of extremely toxic to lamas is. It really only saved an hour or she would not have survived.”
Stien is now better, but the incident has left a fierce impression. Both lamas are pregnant, which requires extra care and caution.
Animals
In addition, some animals are overweight because visitors often give them something tasty. “The donkeys and goats take everything. They sometimes seem pregnant, they are so thick,” says Kim. “But just like in humans, overweight for animals is very bad for health.”
The managers therefore make an urgent call to all visitors: do not feed the animals at all for the time being. Mieke emphasizes that those who want to give something must first pass the farm to consult. “We want to prevent more animals from getting sick. Just in the place so that we can keep all animals healthy.”
Waiting for privacy settings …