Latest news with #JörgBeckmann
DW
04-08-2025
- Health
- DW
Germany: Baboons fed to lions and tigers after zoo culling – DW – 08/04/2025
Nuremberg Zoo killed 12 baboons due to overcrowding and dismembered six of them before feeding them to predators — removing heads, hands, and feet. The move has triggered widespread upset and legal complaints. Nuremberg Zoo has confirmed that baboons killed to keep down numbers were fed to predators, amid public criticism after it was revealed the animals had been dismembered after death. News of the culling sparked complaints from animal groups over zoo ethics, animal welfare, and culling practices, with the animals decapitated and some having their hands and feet removed. Deputy zoo director Jörg Beckmann told the DPA news agency that the skulls and brains from the bodies were separated for scientific purposes. Six of the 12 Guinea baboons, which were culled due to overcrowding, were then fed to lions, tigers, maned wolves and marbled polecats. Hands and feet were removed "out of respect for visitors" who would see the carnivores feeding, Beckmann said. Skeletons of four baboons are being prepared for museum display, the zoo said. Two baboons died during sedation and were sent for pathology rather than being used as feed. Beckmann said the zoo had openly communicated in advance that the baboons would be used as food. "We continue to be transparent and stand by that decision," he said. He explained that whole-animal feeding provides crucial dental health benefits for carnivores, as bones and fur help prevent tartar buildup, unlike processed food. "Unlike many pets, our animals don't need tartar removal under general anesthesia." He also emphasized the behavioral benefits of such feeding practices, which mimic natural hunting conditions. "Evolution equipped them with claws and teeth for this. There's no nature documentary about big predators where they don't spectacularly hunt or feed on a carcass." The zoo had said the baboons were killed because the enclosure was chronically overcrowded and no longer met welfare standards. Attempts to rehome the animals failed, and contraceptive measures for the females had not worked as hoped. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video In a statement last week, the zoo said it acknowledged the emotional impact of the move, saying it understood that many people are "confused, affected, or angry." The zoo explained that the group had grown to more than 40 animals—far exceeding the enclosure's intended capacity of 25 adult baboons. Animal welfare groups reacted strongly. The Nuremberg-Fürth public prosecutor's office confirmed it had received hundreds of criminal complaints over the allegedly unlawful killings and is now reviewing the case. The activist group Animal Rebellion began setting up a protest camp near the zoo on Monday. The camp is expected to remain until the following Monday, with organizers demanding an immediate halt to further killings and an end to breeding programs. In a statement, the zoo said: "Every protest that remains peaceful is acceptable to us." Why did the zoo says the baboon cull was necessary? Nuremberg Zoo said the culling was a last resort after years of trying to control the baboon population through non-lethal means, with contraception having only a limited effect and disrupting natural group dynamics. Despite outreach to many institutions, no suitable home was found for the surplus animals. Expanding the facility again wasn't feasible due to space and funding priorities. The zoo said it could not stop breeding entirely without undermining its long-term conservation role, which requires maintaining healthy, reproducing populations.
NBC News
02-08-2025
- NBC News
German zoo kills 12 healthy baboons that it didn't have space to house
BERLIN — A zoo in the German city of Nuremberg said it killed 12 baboons on Tuesday despite protests, capping a saga rooted in concerns that the zoo had too little space to house a growing group of the animals. The Tiergarten Nürnberg zoo first announced plans to kill baboons it didn't have space for in February 2024. It has said that it examined offers to take in some of the animals but was unable to make any of them work. The plans drew criticism from animal protection groups. They also drew protests at the zoo, which said on Monday that it would have to start preparing to kill baboons. On Tuesday morning, it announced that it was closing for the day for unspecified 'operational reasons.' On Tuesday afternoon, police said seven activists climbed over a wall into the zoo, and one woman glued her hands to the ground. The group was detained a few yards inside the entrance. Shortly afterward, the zoo said it had killed 12 baboons. The deputy director, Jörg Beckmann, said the zoo had chosen animals that weren't pregnant females or part of studies, and that they were shot. Samples were taken for research purposes, and the bodies were then to be fed to the zoo's predators. Zoo director Dag Encke told a news conference that the killings followed 'yearslong consideration.' He argued that they had become necessary to maintain a healthy population because having a group that had outgrown its accommodation and couldn't be reduced by other means was pushing the zoo into conflict with animal protection laws. Animal rights groups said they filed a criminal complaint against the zoo's management, arguing that the killings themselves violated animal protection laws and that the zoo had failed in its breeding management. Laura Zodrow, a spokesperson for the Pro Wildlife group, said in a statement that 'this killing was avoidable and, from our point of view, is unlawful.' The zoo's population of Guinea baboons had grown to 43 and was too big for a house opened in 2009 for 25 animals plus their young, leading to more conflicts among the animals. The zoo has said it did take steps in the past to address the issue, with 16 baboons moving to zoos in Paris and China since 2011. But those zoos, and another in Spain to which baboons were previously sent, had reached their own capacity. An attempt at contraception was abandoned several years ago after failing to produce the desired results. Animals are regularly euthanized in European zoos for a variety of reasons. Some past cases have caused an outcry; for example, one in 2014 in which Copenhagen Zoo killed a healthy 2-year-old giraffe, butchered its carcass in front of a crowd that included children and then fed it to lions.
CTV News
29-07-2025
- CTV News
German zoo kills 12 baboons that it didn't have enough space to house, despite protests
BERLIN — A zoo in the German city of Nuremberg said it killed 12 baboons on Tuesday despite protests, capping a saga rooted in concerns that the zoo had too little space to house a growing group of the animals. The Tiergarten Nurnberg zoo first announced plans to kill baboons it didn't have space for in February 2024. It has said that it examined offers to take in some of the animals but was unable to make any of them work. The plans drew criticism from animal protection groups. They also drew protests at the zoo, which said on Monday that it would have to start preparing to kill baboons. On Tuesday morning, it announced that it was closing for the day for unspecified 'operational reasons.' On Tuesday afternoon, police said seven activists climbed over a wall into the zoo, and one woman glued her hands to the ground. The group was detained a few meters (yards) inside the entrance. Shortly afterward, the zoo said it had killed 12 baboons. The deputy director, Jörg Beckmann, said the zoo had chosen animals that weren't pregnant females or part of studies, and that they were shot. Samples were taken for research purposes, and the bodies were then to be fed to the zoo's predators. Zoo director Dag Encke told a news conference that the killings followed 'yearslong consideration.' He argued that they had become necessary to maintain a healthy population because having a group that had outgrown its accommodation and couldn't be reduced by other means was pushing the zoo into conflict with animal protection laws. Animal rights groups said they filed a criminal complaint against the zoo's management, arguing that the killings themselves violated animal protection laws and that the zoo had failed in its breeding management. Laura Zodrow, a spokesperson for the Pro Wildlife group, said in a statement that 'this killing was avoidable and, from our point of view, is unlawful.' The zoo's population of Guinea baboons had grown to 43 and was too big for a house opened in 2009 for 25 animals plus their young, leading to more conflicts among the animals. The zoo has said it did take steps in the past to address the issue, with 16 baboons moving to zoos in Paris and China since 2011. But those zoos, and another in Spain to which baboons were previously sent, had reached their own capacity. An attempt at contraception was abandoned several years ago after failing to produce the desired results. Animals are regularly euthanized in European zoos for a variety of reasons. Some past cases have caused an outcry; for example, one in 2014 in which Copenhagen Zoo killed a healthy 2-year-old giraffe, butchered its carcass in front of a crowd that included children and then fed it to lions. The Associated Press
Euronews
29-07-2025
- Euronews
Backlash in Germany as Nürnberg Zoo kills 12 healthy baboons
A zoo in the German city of Nürnberg said it killed 12 baboons on Tuesday despite protests, capping a saga rooted in concerns that the zoo had too little space to house a growing group of the animals. The Tiergarten Nürnberg zoo first announced plans to kill baboons it didn't have enough space in February 2024. It has said that it examined offers to take in some of the animals but was unable to make any of them work. The plans drew criticism from animal protection groups. They also drew protests at the zoo, which said on Monday that it would have to start preparing to kill baboons. On Tuesday morning, it announced that it was closing for the day for unspecified "operational reasons." On Tuesday afternoon, police said seven activists climbed over a wall into the zoo and one woman glued her hands to the ground. The group was detained a few metres inside the entrance. Shortly afterward, the zoo said it had killed 12 baboons. The deputy director, Jörg Beckmann, said the zoo had chosen animals that weren't pregnant females or part of studies and that they were shot. Samples were taken for research purposes and the bodies were then to be fed to the zoo's predators. Zoo director Dag Encke told a news conference that the killings followed "yearslong consideration." He argued that they had become necessary to maintain a healthy population because having a group that had outgrown its accommodation and couldn't be reduced by other means was pushing the zoo into conflict with animal protection laws. Animal rights groups said they filed a criminal complaint against the zoo's management, arguing that the killings themselves violated animal protection laws and that the zoo had failed in its breeding management. Laura Zodrow, a spokesperson for the Pro Wildlife group, said in a statement that "this killing was avoidable and, from our point of view, is unlawful." The zoo's population of Guinea baboons had grown to 43 and was too big for a house opened in 2009 for 25 animals plus their young, leading to more conflicts among the animals. The zoo has said it did take steps in the past to address the issue, with 16 baboons moving to zoos in Paris and China since 2011. But those zoos, and another in Spain to which baboons were previously sent, had reached their own capacity. An attempt at contraception was abandoned several years ago after failing to produce the desired results. Animals are regularly euthanised in European zoos for a variety of reasons. Some past cases have caused an outcry. For example, one in 2014 in which Copenhagen Zoo killed a healthy two-year-old giraffe, butchered its carcass in front of a crowd that included children and then fed it to lions.
The Hill
29-07-2025
- The Hill
A German zoo faces a backlash after killing 12 healthy baboons
BERLIN (AP) — A zoo in the German city of Nurember g said it killed 12 baboons on Tuesday despite protests, capping a saga rooted in concerns that the zoo had too little space to house a growing group of the animals. The Tiergarten Nürnberg zoo first announced plans to kill baboons it didn't have space for in February 2024. It has said that it examined offers to take in some of the animals but was unable to make any of them work. The plans drew criticism from animal protection groups. They also drew protests at the zoo, which said on Monday that it would have to start preparing to kill baboons. On Tuesday morning, it announced that it was closing for the day for unspecified 'operational reasons.' On Tuesday afternoon, police said seven activists climbed over a wall into the zoo, and one woman glued her hands to the ground. The group was detained a few meters (yards) inside the entrance. Shortly afterward, the zoo said it had killed 12 baboons. The deputy director, Jörg Beckmann, said the zoo had chosen animals that weren't pregnant females or part of studies, and that they were shot. Samples were taken for research purposes, and the bodies were then to be fed to the zoo's predators. Zoo director Dag Encke told a news conference that the killings followed 'yearslong consideration.' He argued that they had become necessary to maintain a healthy population because having a group that had outgrown its accommodation and couldn't be reduced by other means was pushing the zoo into conflict with animal protection laws. Animal rights groups said they filed a criminal complaint against the zoo's management, arguing that the killings themselves violated animal protection laws and that the zoo had failed in its breeding management. Laura Zodrow, a spokesperson for the Pro Wildlife group, said in a statement that 'this killing was avoidable and, from our point of view, is unlawful.' The zoo's population of Guinea baboons had grown to 43 and was too big for a house opened in 2009 for 25 animals plus their young, leading to more conflicts among the animals. The zoo has said it did take steps in the past to address the issue, with 16 baboons moving to zoos in Paris and China since 2011. But those zoos, and another in Spain to which baboons were previously sent, had reached their own capacity. An attempt at contraception was abandoned several years ago after failing to produce the desired results. Animals are regularly euthanized in European zoos for a variety of reasons. Some past cases have caused an outcry; for example, one in 2014 in which Copenhagen Zoo killed a healthy 2-year-old giraffe, butchered its carcass in front of a crowd that included children and then fed it to lions.
