Posted on 08/01/2025 11:25:23 AM PDT by nickcarraway
A zoo in the German city of Nuremberg has announced it euthanised 12 baboons on Tuesday because of a lack of space for them, ending a saga rooted in concerns that it lacked space to house them due to an increase in animals. The plan to cull them caused great controversy in the country.
The Tiergarten Nürnberg Zoo first announced plans to sacrifice the baboons in February 2024. It has been said that it examined offers to take in some of the animals but was unable to make any of them work, according to CNN.
The plans drew criticism from animal rights groups. They also drew protests at the zoo, which said on Monday that it would have to begin to prepare for the euthanisation of the 16 baboons. On Tuesday morning, it announced that it was closing for the day for unspecified “operational reasons.”
Shortly afterwards, the zoo confirmed the animals had been killed, German news agency DPA reported. Activists now plan to file a criminal complaint.
Rising tensions amongst baboons
The facility, built in the late 2000s to house 25 animals and their young, had reached 43 primates—prompting rising tensions within the troop and concern among zookeepers, CNN added.
Nuremberg Zoo defended the move as a last resort, citing welfare concerns caused by overcrowding and escalating conflict among the baboons.
Culling healthy animals in European zoos isn’t new—but it remains deeply divisive. In 2014, Copenhagen Zoo faced global backlash after killing a healthy giraffe in public, later feeding it to lions. Nuremberg’s decision, although less theatrical, is no less shocking to many.
I’d say you’re right in this case.
Who gave the zoo officials the right to decide who lives and dies?
Should have just handed out some nunchuks and let the baboons work it out among themselves.
“It has been said that it examined offers to take in some of the animals but was unable to make any of them work, according to CNN.”
If the baboons had been sent to a zoo in the US, in a few years we would find out that they had been registered to vote and were voting Democrat.
More upset about baboons than head choppers raping their daughters. Good ol’ Germany. It should be broken back up into a myriad of Duchys.
“First they came for the baboons, but I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a baboon....”
The lion King even had a song about this...the circle of life!
99 tote Paviane,
Ich sitze in meinem Wohnzimmer.
Das hier ist Ned, das ist Dyna,
Und da ist Big Ed in meinem Sessel...
Nena
Can we do this here?
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