Outcry after German zoo culled baboons due to overcrowding

A major controversy has erupted in Germany after the Tiergarten Nürnberg zoo in Nuremberg killed 12 healthy Guinea baboons due to overcrowding in their enclosure. The zoo explained that it had tried to control the baboon population using contraceptive methods, but these efforts failed. As a result, the number of baboons grew too large for the space available, leading to more fights and stress among the animals. The zoo said it could not find any other zoos to take the extra baboons, as those zoos were also full. After the baboons were killed, their bodies were fed to the zoo's predators.

The decision sparked outrage among animal rights activists. On Tuesday, seven protesters entered the zoo to demonstrate against the culling. One woman glued her hands to the ground near the entrance, and all seven were arrested by police. The zoo had announced last year that it might have to kill some baboons because the population had grown to over 40, while the enclosure built in 2009 could only hold 25. The zoo said that none of the baboons killed were pregnant females or part of scientific studies. The animals were shot, and samples were taken for research before their bodies were given to other animals in the zoo.

Dag Encke, the zoo's director, said the decision was made after years of consideration and that culling animals can be a last resort to protect the rest of the group. He stated that the action followed guidelines from the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria. However, animal rights groups have filed a criminal complaint, arguing that the zoo's breeding policies were irresponsible and that healthy animals should not have been killed. A spokesperson for Pro Wildlife called the decision avoidable and illegal, blaming the zoo for not managing the baboon population better over the years. This incident is not the first time European zoos have faced criticism for culling animals. In 2014, a zoo killed a giraffe named Marius because his genes were too similar to other giraffes in the breeding program, which also caused public outrage. The debate continues over how zoos should handle animal populations and whether killing healthy animals can ever be justified.