The Nuremberg Zoo shot twelve healthy brown baboons on Tuesday. According to the management, a shortage of space had arisen in the enclosure. The decision led to protests from animal rights activists. The baboons were fed to predators after examination.
The baboon enclosure was built for a population of 25 animals, but until Tuesday there were 43 baboons. According to the zoo’s management, this increasingly led to arguments between the animals.
The zoo did try to transfer some baboons to other zoos and institutions, but to no avail. An expansion of the baboon enclosure was not an option, the zoo writes in a statement. That would have been at the expense of other necessary expansion projects.
Of the baboons, three adult males and nine females were killed. The animals were first anesthetized and then shot one by one. The remains were examined and then fed to the predators in the zoo.
The zoo had already announced the decision to shoot the healthy animals last year. This led to much indignation. A protest march was held in the center of Nuremberg prior to the clearance operation.
The zoo itself was closed to the public on Tuesday. A number of activists managed to climb over the fences. One of them taped himself to the ground at the entrance gate, police said. The activists have been arrested.