German zoo faces backlash after killing 12 healthy baboons over space issues

A German zoo is facing criticism from animal rights groups and the public after killing 12 Guinea baboons this week, citing lack of space and rising internal animal conflict.

The Tiergarten Nrnberg zoo, located in the city of Nuremberg, said the decision was made after years of unsuccessful efforts to relocate the baboons or control the population through other means. The killings, carried out on Tuesday, came just hours after activists attempted to storm the zoo grounds to stop the action.

“This killing was avoidable and, from our point of view, is unlawful,” said Laura Zodrow of Pro Wildlife, one of the groups that has filed a criminal complaint against the zoo’s management.

The zoo had warned in February 2024 that it may have to cull some of its 43 baboons due to space constraints. The enclosure, opened in 2009, was designed to house only 25 animals and their offspring. As the troop grew, so did conflict among the baboons, prompting what zoo officials described as a difficult but necessary decision.

On Tuesday, the zoo announced a surprise closure for “operational reasons,” and shortly afterward confirmed the culling of the 12 baboons. Police later said seven activists had broken into the zoo, with one woman gluing her hands to the pavement near the entrance.

“The killings followed yearslong consideration,” said zoo director Dag Encke at a press conference. “We had no viable alternative, and continuing overcrowding would have violated animal protection laws.”

The zoo said the baboons selected for euthanasia were not pregnant females and were not part of ongoing scientific studies. They were shot, with samples taken for research. The carcasses were to be fed to predators within the zoo.

Deputy director Jrg Beckmann defended the method, stating the decision was aimed at maintaining a healthy and stable troop. The zoo claims to have tried multiple solutions — including rehoming 16 baboons to zoos in Paris, China, and Spain since 2011 — but said all potential partners had since reached capacity.

An attempt at contraceptive control was also abandoned years ago after it failed to yield results. A similar controversy erupted in 2014, when Copenhagen Zoo killed a healthy 2-year-old giraffe, butchered its carcass in front of a crowd that included children and then fed it to lions.

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Inputs from Associated Press