Coronavirus: German Zoo May Have To Feed Animals To Each Other

[appalachiablue]

Source: BBC News

Zoos that should have been crowded in the sunny Easter holidays are now hard-up and asking for donations, as the coronavirus lockdown bites. A zoo director in northern Germany has even admitted that some animals might soon have to be fed to others, if the zoo is to survive. "We've listed the animals we'll have to slaughter first," Neumünster Zoo's Verena Kaspari told Die Welt.

Berlin Zoo has infant panda twins, but their fans can only watch them online. The zoo's spokeswoman Philine Hachmeister told DPA news agency "the panda twins are adorably sweet". "Constantly we're thinking 'the visitors should be watching them live'. We don't want the little pandas to be grown up by the time we finally reopen."

Big appetites: Ms Kaspari at Neumünster Zoo said killing some animals so that others could live would be a last resort, and "unpleasant", but even that would not solve the financial problem. The seals and penguins needed big quantities of fresh fish daily, she pointed out.

"If it comes to it, I'll have to euthanise animals, rather than let them starve," she said. Zoos that should have been crowded in the sunny Easter holidays are now hard-up and asking for donations, as the coronavirus lockdown bites...



Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52283658

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- The panda cubs in Berlin Zoo would draw large crowds in normal times.




- The seals in Berlin Zoo have no visitors to admire them.

[sfstaxprep]

1. Pretty Pathetic

"If it comes to it, I'll have to euthanise animals, rather than let them starve," she said. Zoos that should have been crowded in the sunny Easter holidays are now hard-up and asking for donations, as the coronavirus lockdown bites...

Because just releasing them to live their lives in the wild would be worse than taking their lives? Logic!

[mopinko]

5. yes it would. they have no skills.

they would either starve or be eaten, and perhaps even carry a few diseases w them.
this is never an answer, whether it is a mouse or an elephant.

[LisaL]

10. Most of the animals in zoos are non-native species.

Where are they going to release them?

[sdfernando]

11. My first thought was why not release them....at least they would have a fight chance

Only blocker I could see is getting them where they need to be released. Seals to the ocean, not that far from Berlin, but some of the bigger game animals would be a challenge. Lions, Elephants, Giraffes, etc.

This is really heartbreaking...maybe we shouldn't have zoo's at all???

[cannabis_flower]

24. Bingo..

what we should have is virtual zoos. Cameras placed in locations that are likely to catch scenes of wildlife and then maybe broadcast to giant screens in a "zoo" where people could come and watch. It could also be available for streaming at home for those that would rather not go out into the 100 degree heat in August to walk around outside in the humidity in Houston, or in the cold in February in Chicago.

[NickB79]

31. We get to watch the last of a species killed by poachers live then?

The biggest threats facing species today are habitat loss and poaching. Zoos act as a refuge and reintroduction reservoir from this.

A virtual zoo gives zero fallback options if the wild population is lost. That's it, extinction.

[iluvtennis]

2. OMG, this is so sad. I hope there is another way to solve the problem. nt

[Initech]

3. This fucking virus has destroyed everything.

[yaesu]

16. its trying to compete with tRump. nt

[Initech]

22. Trump is its' enabler.

[bucolic_frolic]

4. No way they should let this happen

Unbelievable in a way. I thought they couldn't get food, rather than be unable to pay for it. Where are philanthropists?

[AtheistCrusader]

6. It might be time to start thinking hard if we need zoos at all.

Elephants roam up to 30 miles per day, for instance. Keeping them in zoos, given their social nature and intelligence level, is, not to use too human a term; inhumane.

Its wonderful to be able to see these animals up close, but captivity is, in most cases, a horrible thing. Just like SeaWorld. That place is fucking awful for animals.

If the only solution is euthanize, not rehabilitate back into the wild... we're doing it all wrong. Living, intelligent beings should not be subject to the whims of human entertainment.

[JudyM]

9. This, well-stated.

Our lack of humanity in some settings is ever more apparent, laid bare.

[yaesu]

17. My thoughts exactly, I never have agreed with the need for zoos, there are much better ways

to educate kids & the public in general about the worlds wildlife that we must protect.

[SharonClark]

25. You evidently don't know that many zoos are trying to keep species from going extinct.

I suggest you watch programs like The Zoo on the Animal Planet. In today's world, if there were no zoos, there would be more extinct species due to poaching, climate change, habitate destruction, and dwindling resources. Sadly, humans are the cause of these problems and only humans can save the endangered species.

[AtheistCrusader]

30. Breeding programs for the purposes of saving endangered species need have nothing

to do with keeping the animals on display in small enclosures so they have nowhere to hide from the public, etc.

*Some* zoos are ALSO maintaining endangered species breeding programs, that does not invalidate the question of whether actual public zoos are humane ways to view animals, and whether they are worth maintaining.

We hear the same shit from Seaworld, about how they are 'studying' the Orcas. Not much different from the Japanese whaling vessels 'studying' whales. It's bullshit.

[NickB79]

32. In a perfect world, we'd adequately fund zoos doing conservation programs

But in the real world, zoos need paying visitors to keep operating. Tax dollars barely keep the lights on.

Until we authorize funding, zoos can't maintain conservation programs on the paltry budgets they'd have.

[AtheistCrusader]

34. I strongly support that form of funding.

There's money available. For instance, there's an 11% federal excise tax on ammunition for the purposes of habitat and wildlife conservation. We've come to depend on that money for forestry and other related programs, but the rate could be adjusted, and the money CAN be allocated to these programs. Americans buy a LOT of ammo. Like, a stupid huge lot.

Just one means. There are of course, others.

[appalachiablue]

7. Same, the world is full of rich donors & Germany is well off

[marble falls]

8. This article just pisses me off. They've been open how many decades and a three month ...

shut down is breaking them?

It reminds me of the Nat Lampoon cover in '72 -



It caused such outrage, they banned Nat Lampoon from the geedunk.

[appalachiablue]

12. It's really messed up, I can't believe their 'situation' and

hope this is publicity for funds. What could it take, 5-10K?

The animals were put there for humans and we need to step up.

[appalachiablue]

15. Shame on the Lampoon

[alphafemale]

28. That is exactly what I was thinking.

Are they going to threaten to toss the baby pandas into the sea lion tank?

[CountAllVotes]

13. My God

Why do the Germans have them to begin with if they will not care for them?

It is quite correct that there are some very wealthy Germans out there todayl. What about other parts of the EU? Do they not have a responsibility as well?

Austria and Switzerland are close, can they not relocate them?

If they won't allow you to dig a hole in your yard to bury a dead animal, what are they going to do with what is left if they slaughter them? Burn them dare I suggest?

When will this damn hell ever stop?!!!

[appalachiablue]

14. Agree, they should be required to have emerg. funds for

drastic situations, it's reckless and appalling not to have backup in place for these animals.

During the Franco-Prussian War & World War it was human need- the French & others had to eat zoo animals or starve.

- During the 1870 siege, Parisians ate rats, cats, zoo animals.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/paris-siege-eating-zoo-animals

Paris restaurant menu from the 1870 siege.

[alp227]

18. There's something rather awkward about Germany and "deciding who dies"

I'll leave it at that.

[appalachiablue]

19. That stood out to me big when I first read the article

[BusyBeingBest]

20. Germany's a rich, modern country. This is fucking ridiculous.

They can throw some tax money to keep zoo animals cared for, I'm sure.

[Sapient Donkey]

27. I'm willing to bet they are hoping those harsh words they are saying will get people to donate

That being said, zoos are shit.

[NotHardly]

21. Holkum BS ... even Germany can do budgets & data sets ... they can pay their

way out of this or pretend to be monsters...great choice, let's have them do it in front of children.

[Harker]

23. Maybe the jackals could make a life in Washington, D.C.

[MustLoveBeagles]

26. This breaks my heart

There has to be another way.

[Marcuse]

29. When the lions lay down with the lambs, only the lions will get back up.

[NickB79]

33. The species euthanized first would be common, non-endangered ones

I think it's a little strange how many here are upset over this.

Kill a million cattle for hamburgers, fine. Kill an antelope for lion food, awful.

Kill a million hogs for pork chops, fine. Kill a wild boar for tiger food, awful.

Kill a million turkeys for Thanksgiving, fine. Kill an emu for jaguar food, awful.

It really is interesting to see how people assign wildly varying values to different species, even when neither is rare.