On a 13-hectare site in Kappeln on the Baltic Sea, we have created the Weidefeld Animal Welfare Center, a unique place for neglected pets and farm animals as well as injured or orphaned wild animals. This flagship facility is also known throughout Germany as a training and seminar center. We spoke to Dr. Katrin Umlauf, head of the animal welfare center, and her deputy Patrick Boncourt about their work.
The Weidefeld Animal Welfare Center is the largest animal welfare facility in northern Germany and also a sanctuary for confiscated and distressed animals. How many animals are you currently looking after on the 13-hectare site and what have they experienced?
Dr. Katrin Umlauf: We house an average of 300 to 400 animals at any one time. The animals either come from poor animal husbandry and have been confiscated by the authorities or come to us via animal welfare organizations from all over Germany. The wild animals are domestic injured or orphaned animals that come to us either from attentive citizens or via veterinary practices. From time to time, we are also called out to rescue animals from emergency situations. For example, we have just taken in six little pigs that came to us via an animal welfare organization. They originally came from poor conditions and were completely neglected.
How were the pigs cared for and how are they doing today? Are they rehomed or do they stay at the Weidefeld Animal Welfare Center?
Dr. Katrin Umlauf: The pigs initially needed veterinary treatment and, above all, they were in a very poor state of nutrition. They have since recovered well. We hope that these animals will also find interested parties who can offer them a place suitable for pigs.
How did the Animal Welfare Center come to be opened in 2003?
Dr. Katrin Umlauf: The German Animal Welfare Federation was able to take over the site, which used to belong to the German Armed Forces, in 1995. The first animals came to the center in 1998 as a result of the Pallas disaster. The wooden freighter Pallas was wrecked off Amrum, and the leaking oil had contaminated a large number of water birds. The seabird rescue station was therefore the first station to be used in Weidefeld. As demand increased, we gradually set up other stations such as the chicken farm and the large animal station. The first accommodation for large animals took place in 1999: These were large camels, small camels and ponies confiscated from a circus. In 2003, our animal welfare center was officially opened in the presence of Klaus Müller, the state's Minister of the Environment at the time, and Roman Feodoria, the mayor of Kappeln at the time.
the German Animal Welfare Federation took over the former Bundeswehr site where the Animal Welfare Center is now located.
the first animals came to Weidefeld.
the first accommodation for large animals took place: Several camels and ponies confiscated from a circus were taken in at Weidefeld.
the Weidefeld Animal Welfare Center was officially opened.
To what extent has this institution of the German Animal Welfare Federation been an important support for other animal shelters since then? What possibilities does the Weidefeld team have that many animal welfare organizations do not?
Patrick Boncourt: Our animal welfare center with its wards mainly offers animals in need a temporary or permanent home that can usually only be kept in animal shelters for a short time or not at all. These include our monkeys and bears, for example, but horses, sheep, goats and pigs also rarely find a place in an animal shelter. In addition, the animal welfare associations affiliated to the German Animal Welfare Federation have the option of passing on animals to us that cannot be kept appropriately or for which they lack the expertise. These are primarily animals with special husbandry and housing requirements, such as reptiles, large parrots or raccoons.
The Animal Welfare Center's reptile house is an example of the challenges faced by animal shelters, which have to take in more and more reptiles. Why does the housing of bearded dragons, tortoises, snakes etc. pose a problem for animal shelters and how can Weidefeld provide support here?
Patrick Boncourt: Reptiles are particularly sensitive when it comes to their environmental requirements. Depending on their country of origin, they require specific temperature, humidity and light conditions. Setting up terrariums and ponds that are suitable for the animals and caring for them not only involves high costs, but also requires a certain level of expertise, which must be proven to the relevant authorities in order to keep them. All in all, the care is very time-consuming. This is why most animal shelters are happy if they can hand the animals over to a facility that meets these requirements.
At Lissi Lüdemann House, you also look after dogs that tend to have problematic behavior and have little chance of being placed in animal shelters. What options do you have here to help the dogs and animal shelters?
Dr. Katrin Umlauf: Over the last few years, animal shelters have been increasingly confronted with the problem of dogs being handed in to them or admitted by the relevant authorities with the indication that they are dangerous animals. Some have already attacked and injured people or other dogs. The “Resocialization of problematic dogs” project, which was made possible by Lissi Lüdemann's estate and which we have been running at our Weidefeld Animal Welfare Centre since 2003, enables us to help animal shelters by adopting the dog in question. On the other hand, we offer animal shelters the opportunity to house a problem dog together with a supervising animal keeper for a limited period of time at our Weidefeld center. In this way, we can first define the dog's specific problems together under professional guidance and then work out a suitable resocialization programme.
How is it possible to re-socialize these dogs despite the negative experiences that have shaped them in the past?
Dr. Katrin Umlauf: In the 20 years that this dog project has been running, our work with around 150 dogs has shown that both basic ritualized procedures and individually tailored training measures are suitable for successful training. Both building trust and bonding with the caregivers are prerequisites for successful behavioral development.
The animal welfare center has also been housing monkeys since 2012. What are the fates behind this and what makes their accommodation and care so challenging?
Dr. Katrin Umlauf: Our first monkeys came to us from other animal welfare facilities. The animals were carriers of pathogens that did not affect them, but could be infectious to other animals. Caregivers should also not come into direct contact with the animals. As the animals were therefore at risk of being put to sleep, we decided to give them a home in our animal welfare center. Together with the Tierschutzverein für Berlin (a member association of the German Animal Welfare Federation, editor's note), we made this happen. Most of the animals, including vervet monkeys, crested marmosets, rhesus monkeys, a cap monkey and a pigmy monkey, were originally kept in private households under conditions that violated animal welfare and were confiscated by the authorities. Our guenon Lee came from a pub. She was fed peanuts and cola there. It is of course important to us that these intelligent animals have a species-appropriate environment with at least one conspecific and plenty of variety in their enclosure. An individually adapted diet, which we sometimes hide to keep the animals occupied, also contributes greatly to their well-being.
How does Weidefeld differ from zoos in general? And to what extent does the former Bundeswehr site offer special opportunities to accommodate the animals according to their needs?
Dr. Katrin Umlauf: Our animal stations are largely geared towards the needs of the animals. It often happens that our visitors don't even get to see them because they are in one of their retreats. Our animals are not on display, we wouldn't have them if they didn't have to be rescued from an emergency situation. Unlike the zoo, which wants to keep animals, we would be happy if a facility like ours wasn't needed.
Since the animal welfare center opened more than 20 years ago, the facility has grown steadily. Most recently, after extensive renovation work, the bear sanctuary was inaugurated in 2019, where the ruffed bears Malvina, Balou and Serenus and the brown bears Masha and Maya now live. What do bears need to feel at home?
Patrick Boncourt: First of all, large bears need a lot of space, as they are extremely active animals that roam their large territories in search of food. To satisfy this urge to explore, we hide large quantities of fresh food throughout the enclosure every day. Dense vegetation provides retreat and hiding places, as some of our bears are rather shy of people and prefer to be secluded. Our ruffed bears love to climb trees and our brown bears always bathe extensively in the inviting natural ponds, especially in the warmer months. In winter, the animals must be able to retreat to caves for undisturbed hibernation. A bear sanctuary has to meet all these needs, which is why we were able to create a well-structured, two-hectare facility in Weidefeld thanks to the support of numerous bear friends, where the animals clearly feel at home.
Weidefeld is also home to numerous injured, orphaned or sick wild animals, which are nursed back to health by the animal keepers and then released back into the wild. At the hedgehog rescue center, for example, your team cares for numerous hedgehogs in need every year. Why does this also require a great deal of expertise and care?
Patrick Boncourt: The people looking after each species, each of which has very individual requirements, need the necessary expertise. This also applies to the seemingly robust hedgehogs. Hedgehog-friendly housing - which varies depending on the time of year - and the right diet as well as veterinary care play a major role in their successful reintroduction into the wild. Hedgehogs require a lot of care when they are not hibernating. Cleaning the enclosures, weighing and caring for the animals takes a lot of time. In some years we have had up to 90 animals at the same time.
What are the most common reasons why wild animals come into your care?
Patrick Boncourt: It depends a little on the time of year. In spring, it's mainly orphaned young animals, such as all kinds of nestlings, hare and rabbit babies and marten cubs. As we are here on the Baltic Sea, we also receive many seabird chicks. In summer and fall, it is mainly accident victims, i.e. adult animals. In winter, we also often care for weakened animals.
Before the official opening of the animal welfare center, the seabird rescue station had already been set up in Weidefeld to help seabirds contaminated with oil from shipwrecks, for example. How often does your team have to help seabirds and how time-consuming is it to care for these animals?
Dr. Katrin Umlauf: Fortunately, we have been spared any major accidents in recent years. There have been minor accidents every few years at various ports in the Baltic Sea cities. In 2008, we were able to release 52 percent of the 69 birds we took in back into the wild. Unfortunately, the others were so poisoned that they had to be euthanized. In 2010, we had a rescue mission in February in icy conditions. Swans were contaminated with oil after an accident in the port of Kiel-Holtenau: Of a total of around 40 animals, around 70 percent were released back into the wild. In 2022, a two-kilometre-long film of oil was discovered in the Travemünde harbour basin. Oil accidentally leaked during a refueling process, contaminating a few seabirds along the shore. We were able to catch a total of four mute swans, have them examined by a vet, clean them and successfully release them back into the wild.
How many such seabird rescue stations, which specialize in precisely such cases, are there in Germany?
Patrick Boncourt: We are currently the only ones who, in cooperation with the state of Schleswig-Holstein, have such a rescue station available in case of emergency. This includes regular training for helpers under the leadership of the State Office for Coastal Protection and the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW).
Caring for all the animals and maintaining and expanding the enclosures is very time-consuming and costly. What role do the sponsors, donors and members of the German Animal Welfare Federation play in this?
Dr. Katrin Umlauf: The sponsors of our animals and projects are of course a great help. Donors also help us enormously with donations, some of which come from foundations. Without this help, we would not be able to maintain our center. We only receive public funding when we take in animals from confiscations. And these refunds are often limited to a certain period of time. The care of wild animals is a particular problem. No one feels responsible for this, so we have to cover the costs solely through donations and other contributions from animal lovers.
Once a year, there is a sponsor day where sponsors can visit Weidefeld and meet their protégés in person. How do you perceive these meetings?
Patrick Boncourt: The meetings with the sponsors are equally inspiring for us and for the visitors. We enjoy the time together, the exchange with our animals and are proud to be able to show our supporters how well the animals are doing here. Of course, it is important for the sponsors to see “their” protégés with their own eyes in addition to the regular reports.
The Weidefeld Animal Welfare Center is also known for developing and implementing practical solutions to current animal welfare issues. Can you give some examples of this?
Dr. Katrin Umlauf: We receive inquiries from animal welfare associations on a wide range of topics where we can provide assistance. Be it the construction and establishment of animal stations and enclosures or the care of a wide variety of animal species. Dealing with so-called problem dogs and the necessary risk prevention is also a major topic, which we provide expert advice on from a practical perspective. Animal welfare organizations can learn a lot from us in the form of internships for their own work and our regular seminars for animal shelter employees always have a practical focus.
How many employees are currently on your team and what makes them special?
Patrick Boncourt: Our team currently consists of around 20 people. The majority work in animal care: eight qualified animal keepers and five trainees. Three more young trainees will be joining us this year. In addition to the management, we also have two administrative staff and a service employee who, among other things, looks after the rooms and the catering for seminar guests. Two janitors maintain the large grounds and buildings. In addition, we are supported by two young women who are completing their Federal Voluntary Service (Bufdi) and their Voluntary Ecological Year (FÖJ) with us. Our team is characterized by above-average commitment. All of them have the necessary know-how for their area of responsibility.
The center is a training company for animal keepers and a recognized placement site for the Voluntary Ecological Year. What areas can the trainees or participants in the FÖJ focus on and what can they learn?
Dr. Katrin Umlauf: It is very important to us that the young people receive qualified and comprehensive training with us. As we are home to many different animal species with a wide variety of requirements, the training is correspondingly varied. The Bufdi and FÖJ also help with animal care from time to time. However, they are primarily involved in public relations work. Both look after our center's own youth group. One of the main tasks of the Bufdi is to conduct regular guided tours for visitors.
Young animal keepers who have completed their training in Weidefeld regularly receive an award from the Chamber of Industry and Commerce as the best in their exams. Are the conditions in Weidefeld particularly good, so that many of your trainees have a better start in this profession?
Dr. Katrin Umlauf: Several factors certainly play a role in this. Firstly, the selection process lays the foundation. The shortlisted applicants have to prove themselves through an internship at work and, above all, in a team. We then decide together who is right for us. And yes, the conditions are of course very good. Because we are home to a wide variety of animal species, the young animal keepers learn everything they need to know about housing, caring for and handling animals in a variety of ways. In addition to the management, several of the trained animal keepers are qualified trainers, so there is always someone on site to answer any questions and ensure that the trainees receive comprehensive support.
You also pass on your knowledge in seminars for animal shelter employees. What do the participants learn from you that is useful for their work at the animal shelter?
Dr. Katrin Umlauf: The focus of the seminars held in Weidefeld is primarily on putting theoretical knowledge into practice. In addition to the aforementioned measures to prevent danger when dealing with problematic dogs, the handling of reptiles is also a topic. We also offer seminars on observing the behavior of dogs and how to keep them occupied, which can be put into practice in animal shelters.
What are you particularly proud of after more than 20 years at the Weidefeld Animal Welfare Center?
Dr. Katrin Umlauf: I am delighted that we have managed to gain recognition not only regionally but also nationwide and that we have been able to help around 1,270 pets, exotic animals and 5,970 wild animals over the years, i.e. around 7,240 animals in total.
What's next on the agenda?
Patrick Boncourt: The next thing planned is an extension to the raccoon enclosure to make it easier to separate and socialize animals. There will also be a new, larger area for our two wild boars, Miss Marple and Simbo. We will then be able to use the previous enclosure for our six new pig arrivals, who are currently still in quarantine. New ponds are also planned for the seabird rescue station.
