By Johannes Malinowski
No one is at home with the sable antelopes. The polar bear enclosure: Abandoned. And the last black rhino has also left.
There is a lot of coming and going at the zoo right now. When the BZ was last counted, it became apparent that around a dozen of the systems were orphaned. Biggest example: the polar bear enclosure. The area has been fallow since the death of female Katyuscha in December 2021. A similar picture with the alpine marmots and the alpacas. And one of the sea lion enclosures is also uninhabited.
There is currently no one to see the marmots either Photo: Olaf Wagner/ BZ Collage
Is the zoo now becoming an I-don’t-see-any-animals park?
The reasons for the vacancy vary. “On the one hand, it may be that the animals are in their indoor enclosures at the time of observation and cannot be seen in the outdoor areas, such as the sloth bears,” says zoo spokeswoman Svenja Eisenbarth. On the other hand, some facilities require preparatory work for conversions or new buildings, as enclosures must be regularly maintained and renovated.
One of the sea lion enclosures will soon be renovated. Until then the pool will remain empty Photo: Olaf Wagner/ BZ Collage
The ground for the sable antelopes is currently being renewed. And a construction site will soon be set up around the predator house. New network systems are being installed for Tiger, Leopard and Jaguar.
The fact is: with 19,500 animals from more than 1,000 different species, the zoo is still the most species-rich zoo in the world. The only pandas in Germany live here and the rhino pagoda and renovated predator house are highlights for zoo fans.
The tiger enclosure at the predator house has only been inhabited again since last week Photo: Olaf Wagner/ BZ Collage
But: The regular adult ticket for the zoo costs 20 euros at the ticket office (19 euros online). The massive vacancy will be a hard sell to disappointed visitors.
Heaviest departure currently: the 550 kilo female Indian rhinoceros Maburi. The European Endangered Species Program (EEP) has decided that Maburi will move to the zoo in Leipzig. “The entire keeping of the black rhinos no longer corresponded to our ideas of modern animal husbandry,” says the spokeswoman. “As we have just opened a new home for Indian rhinos, there are no plans for a new home for black rhinos any time soon.”
Female Indian rhinoceros Maburi has left the zoo for Leipzig Photo: Olaf Wagner/ BZ Collage
The newest additions took some getting used to. The three brown bear brothers Lucifer, Lillebor and Momoa have gotten used to their new home in the last few weeks. And the Sumatran tigers Lotte and Luise were also given a few days of visitor-free rest.