City criticizes zoo after controversial baboon levy

Augsburg - City criticizes zoo after controversial baboon levy

Following the controversial transfer of two baboons to a research institution, the management of Augsburg Zoo has been sharply criticized by the city. "As a shareholder, the city of Augsburg expects the zoo management to inform it in advance of any events that could damage the zoo's image and to discuss the procedure together," Augsburg's environmental officer Reiner Erben (Green Party) told the Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper (Wednesday).

The zoo had given two male mantled baboons to the German Primate Center in Göttingen, a facility of the Leibniz Institute for Primate Research. The zoo had emphasized that the baboons were "not used for animal experiments".

Animal rights activists have protested against the zoo 's actions. The association Doctors Against Animal Experiments assumes that the baboons are bred in Göttingen and that "their offspring are cruelly used for scientifically nonsensical animal experiments in which they are mistreated and ultimately killed".

The organization Peta Germany expressed similar sentiments. It is "repulsive" that zoos breed animals as crowd-pullers and then "regularly dispose of them like soulless objects", explained Peta. The municipal zoo in Augsburg has also been confronted with critical comments from many citizens on Facebook for days.

Environmental officer Erben said that zoo director Barbara Jantschke is responsible for managing the zoo's business and therefore also for the disposal of animals. However, he announced that the Supervisory Board would deal with the matter. "A common line will also be established with the zoo for the future procedure for the sale of zoo animals."

The zoo director did not initially comment on the criticism from the town hall on Wednesday. However, the zoo once again justified the transfer of the two males to the institute. This could have reduced tensions in the 55-strong group of Augsburg baboons. On the other hand, the two baboons in Göttingen would receive "good care with a relaxed environment".

German Primate Center Facebook page Augsburg Zoo Statement Doctors Against Animal Experiments Statement Peta Report "Augsburger Allgemeine"

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1. The criticism towards Augsburg Zoo's management has reached both local and national platforms, with PETA Germany expressing their concerns on Facebook.
2. Reiner Erben, Augsburg's environmental officer, questioned the zoo's decision to transfer baboons to a research institution without prior consultation.
3. The German Primate Center, a research institution located in Göttingen, a city in Bavaria, became involved in the controversy as the recipient of the two mantled baboons.
4. The animals were not intended for animal experiments, according to the Augsburg Zoo, but PETA Germany and Doctors Against Animal Experiments have raised concerns about potential mistreatment and experiments.
5. Many city residents have left critical comments on the Augsburg Zoo's Facebook page, voicing their concerns about the baboon transfer and how zoos treat their animals.
6. The City of Augsburg, as a shareholder of the zoo, expects transparency and involvement in decision-making processes that could impact its public image.
7. The municipalities in Bavaria, particularly those with zoos, may also be subject to scrutiny as animal rights activists call for stricter regulations and accountability in the treatment and handling of animals.
8. While the zoo director has not publicly commented on the criticism, the German Primate Center and Doctors Against Animal Experiments have issued statements, adding fuel to the ongoing debate on animal research and welfare in Germany.

Source: www.stern.de