In light of recent cases of healthy animals being killed in German zoos, the German Animal Welfare Federation points out that these are not isolated incidents, but rather that the facilities and the concept of zoos in their current form are fundamentally reaching their limits. The federation urgently warns against establishing killing as part of normal population management. Instead of continuing to breed for surplus – and thus accepting recurring killings as a calculated risk – a change of course is urgently needed that focuses more strongly on responsibility towards individual animals and the protection of their natural habitats.
“Those who breed and reproduce animals have an even greater obligation to ensure their well-being! The protection of endangered species is sensible and important, but animal welfare must not be lost sight of. The reintroduction of most animals into the wild is usually not planned or even possible in the near future. Preserving species at any cost is a questionable and one-sided approach – and it is upsetting and sad!” comments Paulina Kuhn from the German Animal Welfare Federation's specialist department for wild animals. “Zoos cannot simply shirk their responsibility towards the individual creatures in their care. If it cannot be guaranteed that animals will be well housed, breeding should be avoided.”
MEANINGFUL SPECIES PROTECTION INCLUDES ANIMAL WELFARE
The German Animal Welfare Association observes with concern that the killing of supposedly surplus animals has become common practice in recent years. If the animals are subsequently fed to other animals, zoo associations usually cite the “reasonable cause” required for killing under the Animal Welfare Act. Animal welfare activists consider this practice to be ethically unacceptable and legally questionable. In addition, zoo representatives are pursuing the declared goal of enforcing killings as “reasonable” for other species as well, such as predators or primates. They often justify breeding for surplus and the subsequent killing of individual animals with the natural behavior of the parent animals or aspects of species protection. “However, serious species conservation includes animal welfare – and therefore focuses on fewer species, improved living conditions, and the protection of local habitats,” says Kuhn. “As long as habitats are lacking, zoo animals remain living museum pieces and the argument of species conservation remains without substance.”
RECENT KILLINGS IN SCHWERIN AND COLOGNE
While the Nuremberg Zoo is currently planning to shoot up to 20 baboons, at least two other zoos carried out killings this week: A few days ago, the Schwerin Zoo shot two Asian David's deer and then fed them to the lions. At Cologne Zoo, two lion cubs also had to be killed after their mother rejected them. From an animal welfare perspective, the situation arose as a result of poor breeding planning, as the lioness still had older offspring to care for and had been mated again too soon.
