Baboon dilemma in Nuremberg Zoo: kill or rescue?

Baboon dilemma in Nuremberg Zoo: kill or rescue?

There is a lot of turmoil in the Nuremberg Zoo because the planned fate of the Guinea baboons that live there is causing a lot of unrest. The zoo is forced to reduce the animal population, which currently stands at 46 animals, to 25. A project that, according to nordbayern.de, is not progressing as planned since a move of the animals failed.

Overcrowding in the enclosure leads to arguments among the animals, which not only affects the quality of life but also leads to injuries. The situation is anything but new. Since 1942, the people of Nuremberg have been keeping the Guinea baboon as part of a European conservation breeding program (EAZA ex-situ program). Nevertheless, the number of animals in the wild has fallen by 20 percent, underpinning their status as potentially endangered. The zoo therefore aims to maintain a sufficiently large and healthy group for future releases. But the planned species protection program has its pitfalls.

Confused plans and no solutions in sight

In February 2024, the topic of population management of baboons was discussed publicly. The zoo tried to attract takeover offers from various countries, but the results were sobering. So far there have been no concrete takeovers - neither from Slovenia, where an offer was rejected as unsuitable, nor from India and Austria, where necessary information on keeping conditions is missing. Even an offer from the Great Ape Project from Great Britain is given little chance because it was classified as inadequate. Robert Marc Lehmann, a well-known animal rights activist, criticizes the fact that there are allegedly other takeover offers from four countries that are being ignored by the zoo. This is perceived as a deliberate complication of the levy in order to ultimately enforce killings, which brings animal protection organizations into action.

The zoo's argument is that the killings are part of necessary species protection. Zoo director Dag Encke describes the situation as a “man-made dilemma”. A heated debate has erupted on social media about the ethical implications of these plans, with critics accusing the zoo of not doing enough for the animals and engaging in greenwashing. The animal protection organization Peta and the German Animal Welfare Association have already expressed their concern and are threatening criminal charges.

The challenges of population management

The uncertainties are considerable. The zoo follows the established requirements of the Animal Welfare Act in order to reduce the population and has considered the respectful use of animal carcasses - including for research projects. But how many and which animals will ultimately be affected remains unclear. The zoo emphasizes that they are legally obliged to work together to promote biotope diversity and protect species. Sterilization might not bring the desired result either, as the population still needs to be preserved.

The problem is clear: an expansion of the baboon enclosure was carried out in 2009, and today those responsible are faced with a mountain of unanswered questions. While the zoo is desperately looking for solutions, the pressure from outside is enormous. It remains the only zoo in Germany that keeps Guinea baboons, and with 278 animals in EAZA zoos, the conservation breeding program is becoming increasingly important.

The challenges remain. Given the lack of habitat, releasing them into the wild is not possible as time is short. It will be interesting to see how the coming weeks go and whether the zoo will find a solution that meets both animal welfare standards and can secure the medium-term population of Guinea baboons.