Best Asian Elephant enclosure in Germany

Best Asian Elephant enclosure in Germany?

  • Total voters
    27
  • Poll closed .
felis silvestris

felis silvestris

Well-Known Member
This is just a bit of fun to judge the general consensus on the best enclosure for Asian Elephants in Germany. I have added a few photos from the gallery to make it easier for members to compare the different exhibits. If anyone wants to make an argument for a particular enclosure, please feel free to do so. Also, I would encourage people to list the enclosures in order of what they think is best.

If you want to vote for Augsburg, Cottbus, Karlsruhe, Neunkirchen, Osnabruck, Wille Kinderzoo, Krefeld, Strohen or Waltersdorf please vote for the "Other" option in the poll.

Cologne

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Augsburg

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Berlin

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Cottbus

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Hagenbeck

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Hannover

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Heidelberg

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Karlsruhe

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Leipzig

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Hellabrunn

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Last edited:
Munster

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Neunkirchen

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Osnabruck

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Wille Kinderzoo

Unfortunately there are no photos of this enclosure in the gallery. If someone could describe or provide a photo of the exhibit, that would be great.

Krefeld

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Strohen

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Wilhelma

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Waltersdorf

Unfortunately there are no photos of this enclosure in the gallery. If someone could describe or provide a photo of the exhibit, that would be great.

Photo credits to @Glutton @Dianamonkey @lintworm @Toddy @Schlandro @snowleopard @Maguari @vogelcommando @RonBurrgundy @Nasua @SimonBio @twilighter @Phillipine eagle @Daniel Sörensen @DelacoursLangur
 
Perhaps Cologne due to its space, especially indoors, multiple paddocks and a large group. Even if it is a very bland exhibit, with little visible enrichment, no vegetation and minimal visitor education. Hannover and Hamburg are contenders.

With elephants, like primates, a big compatible herd seems to trump exhibit.
 
Cologne is going to win this poll in a landslide. Several of the other options are very poor, tiny exhibits by modern standards.
 
Heidelberg is in my opinion the only one that can compete with Koln. It's way smaller but exhibit a totally different group structure. It also looks more natural and more rich in enrichment but outdoor exhibit remain too small in my opinion.
 
I am not the biggest fan of Cologne, yes it is large, but apart from size it isn't very good, there is relatively little structure and I find the outdoors way to barren, it looks like a desert with all the sand and mock rock, but little shade. There aren't many great Asian elephant enclosures in Germany though. I like Heidelberg which has a nicely structured outdoor enclosure and due to having only young bulls there is always a ton of activity. I voted for Hellabrunn, partly for the beautifully renovated elephant house, which while still somewhat small, is very pretty. Outdoors isn't shabby either with well structured enclosures stretching all around the building, which makes for over 7000 square metres of outdoor exhibit. That is quite a bit smaller than the 1.1 hectare of Cologne, but Munich keeps half of the elephants Cologne keeps.

The indoor enclosure in Cottbus has changed quite a bit since my picture, a completely new barn was opened which is a huge improvement for a relatively small zoo: Neues Elefantenhaus im Cottbuser Tierpark eröffnet am 1. Juni
 
Cologne differs from most other zoos that it build a totally new elephant complex in the 2000s. It was a very bold move to level several other exhibits on ca 10% of the zoo.

Most other zoos renovated their elephant exhibits from the 1970s or before. They are adequate, but will never be very good.

For me it shows that there are limits of modernizing and repurposing old zoo exhibits. Often it is better to be bold - bulldoze a whole area and design anew.
 
For me it's obviously cologne since the size of the herd and the space (especially indoors considering the elephants won't be out too much in the winter) are just not matched in Germany. When I visited last year all elephants seemed happy and were either occupied with each other, bathing or with other enrichment.

I also really like Hellabrunn (mostly because of the aesthetic) and Heidelberg. Osnabrück is planning an expansion for quite a while know and might get into the top 5 after the renovation. But knowing that funds are very limited they will most likely reuse a lot of the old structures which could result in somewhat of a makeshift solution. The house is btw already quite good for it's age since there is more than just some boxes which wasn't the norm back in the days and at least a solit foundation to build on (picture).
If I remeber correctly Hannover is also planning on an expansion and a bigger house but I can't remeber completly. I don't like the theming and the square shape but in general it's a solit enclosure.

I really don't like Hagenbeck.
It has a very nice indoor space but the outdoor yard is too small for the 7 animals (especially the bull yard) (but that can probably be said about almost all mentioned enclosures despite) and the fact that the keepers are basically all the time in the enclosure eleminates Hagenbeck completly as a top contender. The animals are also begging for food a lot standing on the edge of moat while visitors can feed them some greens. In addition to that the enclosure has almost no enrichment (I think there were some steel balls with hay) or structure. During my last visit I noticed that there is quite a lot of space next to the bull yard which is not used at all and hopefully they will expand the elephant enclosure.
 
I'd go for Cologne. It's the best enclosure, just an odd patchwork group in there. I haven't seen the new enclosure in Hannover though, it's certainly good as well. Heidelberg is alright for the bull group as well, but not comparable to the enclosures with breeding groups. Hagenbeck would absolutely be alright for a smaller or a bachelor group (the former bull yard was supposed to be made available for the group). I'd also say that most enclosures are too small for modern standards in the meantime.
 
Poll closed. Congratulations to Cologne for having the Best Asian Elephant enclosure in Germany. The huge indoors and outdoor exhibit for many elephants gave them a landslide oof a win, their second after the one for Bornean Orangutans.

Cologne: 66.7%
Berlin: 7.4%
Heidelberg: 7.4%
Leipzig: 7.4%
Hellabrunn: 7.4%
Hagenbeck: 3.7%
 
RonBurrgundy said:
the fact that the keepers are basically all the time in the enclosure eleminates Hagenbeck
Click to expand...

I liked presentation in Hagenbeck when all keepers give their ankuses to elephants and back off, and the elephants follow people around the yard to give the ankuses back. Which eliminates any idea that keepers forcibly control elephants.

While the policy of keeping elephants in protected contact (or at least training them to be managed in protected contact) is best from the point of safety of zoo direction, it is not necessary the most liked by elephants and keepers.
 
Jurek7 said:
I liked presentation in Hagenbeck when all keepers give their ankuses to elephants and back off, and the elephants follow people around the yard to give the ankuses back. Which eliminates any idea that keepers forcibly control elephants.

While the policy of keeping elephants in protected contact (or at least training them to be managed in protected contact) is best from the point of safety of zoo direction, it is not necessary the most liked by elephants and keepers.
Click to expand...
Full contact and the way of keeping at Hagenbeck is not beneficial to any elephant. Having seen pictures and hearing stories about Assam and observing the animals at Hagenbeck that is not a functional herd. I was there only once however you should know that keeping elephants in full contact needs you the keeper to be bossy over the elephant it's not a cooperative way of working with the animals that have their own internal structure and a healthy bond with their keepers. I suggest you look into the benefits of protected contact and the downfall of free contact. Plenty of papers have been published and their is a reason that from 2030 elephants should be kept in protected contact for all Eaza elephants.
The elephants are all separated at night, while a healthy herd should be sleeping together. The outdoor of Hagenbeck is not that large and they don't have a decent bull paddock.
You can obviously put on a show with broken and trauma bonded animals that can seem like the animals enjoy it however to conclude the fact that this means they don't forcibly control the elephants is a fallacy.
You can discuss and have opinions about the exhibit however certain needs are just scientific fact. Is Hagenbeck the worst exhibit no it has a nice inside enclosure. For me it just lacks size, shade and number of feeding stations as well as substrates. Does Cologne have everything no.
I'm trying to say that the way of working is just scientifically determined to be beneficial to work protected contact. You could have definitely made a case for Hagenbeck. But this comment seems off point for me.
 
Jurek7 said:
I liked presentation in Hagenbeck when all keepers give their ankuses to elephants and back off, and the elephants follow people around the yard to give the ankuses back. Which eliminates any idea that keepers forcibly control elephants.

While the policy of keeping elephants in protected contact (or at least training them to be managed in protected contact) is best from the point of safety of zoo direction, it is not necessary the most liked by elephants and keepers.
Click to expand...

I honestly never liked the presentation at Hagenbeck. Standing at the moat with the keepers next to them and getting fed by the visitors is circus and not zoo where you want to see as much natural behavior as possible. I know that keepers who are doing hands on love it but it's about the elephants and not about the keepers. Of course it has advantages, e.g. the old elephants in the patchwork group at Hagenbeck would have issues getting food if they didn't get it separately. Yet this is an issue of a wrong group structure, if they were related they wouldn't let the old ones down. There'd actually be a solution pleasing everyone (especially the EEP) but the officials at Hagenbeck: if they send the two mini-matrilines away they could host 5-6 old cows who are not used to anything different than hands on, in this case they could go on with it but they'd be a seniors residence only.
 
I agree that Hamburg exhibit is barren and rather small. However, interactions with keepers and public are prime enrichment. I see no logic why an elephant picking food from a metal ball is good enrichment but picking food from a visitor is bad enrichment.

About hands-on contact in general, elephants in zoos have always been a small addition to domestic elephants in Asia, which all are maintained in direct contact, ridden, trained, usually put in stalls at night and so on. Zoo people in Europe are contradiction themselves - they put elephant camps in Asia as a guideline to longevity, breeding, health etc. In addition, more practically, stopping direct contact cuts chances of future exchange of elephants with Asia.
 
I've only visited Hagenbeck once, in 2019, but I passed by the elephant exhibit several times and my experience was a negative one. Here are two photos I took and in my opinion this sort of behaviour has no place in a modern zoo.

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Anyone questioning what level of contact keepers have with elephants in zoos should have a read of Alan Roocroft’s recently published book on the topic!
 
Jurek7 said:
I agree that Hamburg exhibit is barren and rather small. However, interactions with keepers and public are prime enrichment. I see no logic why an elephant picking food from a metal ball is good enrichment but picking food from a visitor is bad enrichment.

About hands-on contact in general, elephants in zoos have always been a small addition to domestic elephants in Asia, which all are maintained in direct contact, ridden, trained, usually put in stalls at night and so on. Zoo people in Europe are contradiction themselves - they put elephant camps in Asia as a guideline to longevity, breeding, health etc. In addition, more practically, stopping direct contact cuts chances of future exchange of elephants with Asia.
Click to expand...

Look I would recommend you read: Rates of reinforcement and measures of compliance in free and protected contact elephant management systems
https://doi.org/10.1002/zoo.21229
To be fair EAZA also has this:A preliminary analysis of the influence of handling method on adrenal activity in zoo African and Asian elephants View of Influence of Handling Method on Adrenal Activity in Zoo African and Asian Elephants
That rules more in your favor.
In general welfare wise it seems better out of preliminary studies to work protected contact.
The fact the activity of interaction with keepers and public are enriching can be true but can also be false depending on the situation. However it's not because it can be enriching means that it's best for their welfare. It's difficult to type nuance. If free contact is done and it's done solely based on positive reinforcement which also shows way better results, I can accept it.
However using negative reinforcement which is the way most free contact places still operate, that leads to unhealthy animals and herd structures.
In my opinion protected contact is better since the elephants live in a more natural group structure. This leads the animals to be more focused on each-other and have healthier attachments leading to less conflict, and more interaction. In my opinion in general enrichment should benefit the animal, so if the animals are challenged to forage more that's beneficial. If the animals are focused on humans because they're a food delivery system this leads to more conflict and less group behavior. Do you see the point I'm trying to deliver?
One thing being beneficial doesn't mean it's optimal.
I don't know what other people say I can only speak for myself. Working in protected contact doesn't mean you can't exchange with Asia. Also with the existing zoo population I don't think it's necessary to exchange animals if well managed.
 
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