Berlin Tierpark Tierpark Berlin News 2024

The female Southeast-Asian Golden Cat (Catopuma temminckii temminckii) from Indonesia has now traveled to the EEP coordinator in Heidelberg (source: Facebook page of Heidelberg Zoo) to be mated with the male cat there (a subscpecies hybrid according to ZTL). Unfortunately, she never got along with the male from Indonesia and of course the golden cat is known to be highly endangered, extremely rare in zoos and apparently also very difficult to socialize and mate. Nevertheless, I find it somewhat disillusioning that apparently no consideration is/can be given to subspecies status here any longer. Just considering how much effort is now being put into setting up breeding stations for the rescue/resurrection of the northern white rhino. Or maybe my point of view is too narrow-minded in this case. When it comes down to it, the ecological function of the species is probably more important than the “conservation” of several subspecies that are likely to become extinct anyway?
 
markmeier said:
The female Southeast-Asian Golden Cat (Catopuma temminckii temminckii) from Indonesia has now traveled to the EEP coordinator in Heidelberg (source: Facebook page of Heidelberg Zoo) to be mated with the male cat there (a subscpecies hybrid according to ZTL). Unfortunately, she never got along with the male from Indonesia and of course the golden cat is known to be highly endangered, extremely rare in zoos and apparently also very difficult to socialize and mate. Nevertheless, I find it somewhat disillusioning that apparently no consideration is/can be given to subspecies status here any longer. Just considering how much effort is now being put into setting up breeding stations for the rescue/resurrection of the northern white rhino. Or maybe my point of view is too narrow-minded in this case. When it comes down to it, the ecological function of the species is probably more important than the “conservation” of several subspecies that are likely to become extinct anyway?
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There is a grand total of 11 Asian golden cats in Europe, so without mixing the subspecies the chances of survival are 0 (and the odds aren't that much higher now). And let's be fair the chance a small cat is effectively rewilded (basically the first time subspecies matter and even then it is sometimes irrelevant) are close to 0 too.

The only reason the northern white rhino is getting so much attention is because it is the poster boy (or girl actually) of extinction. But from an ecological standpoint a southern white rhino is jusr as good as differences are marginal.
 
markmeier said:
Last week, I had a chance to visit the Tierpark for a couple of hours just before closing time.

. . .

Elephant Building
There also were quite a number of people working in different areas there. In the roof area they were quite busy putting on some foil. At first glance, colour and texture/appearance actually looked quite similar to the roof foil of the new rhino pagoda at the Zoo. But on a closer look, it seemed too flat. So either they just didn't inflate it with air yet - or it's just some kind of weather protection.
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And indeed they HAVE already started putting the new foil structure up there.
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In comparison to the slow, slow, slow earlier years of this construction site, the last weeks and months have been nothing short of breathtaking. I really hope they can keep this up now.
 
According to Zootierliste, Berlin Tierpark indeed DID receive 0,1 aye aye from Trinity, Jersey/UK!

Normally, I'd expect it to move over to the Zoo. But as they just redecorated the exhibit as a (semi) nocturnal one, it may actually stay.

Crazy times. First okapis and now aye aye. I wouldn't have thought either species ever comes to the park. Now both in such a short time.
 
markmeier said:
According to Zootierliste, Berlin Tierpark indeed DID receive 0,1 aye aye from Trinity, Jersey/UK!

Normally, I'd expect it to move over to the Zoo. But as they just redecorated the exhibit as a (semi) nocturnal one, it may actually stay.

Crazy times. First okapis and now aye aye. I wouldn't have thought either species ever comes to the park. Now both in such a short time.
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Oh wow! Sounds like a guarantee that it will be moved into the primate house, and that will certainly be a fantastic addition to the already impressive lemur collection - surely it will be the only collection with both sifaka and Aye-Aye? Hopefully there are more surprises in store over the next few years, certainly it's making the wait for the Elephant House more palatable. It seems like Tierpark is finally getting the focus it deserves species-wise as much as they architectural developments.

I suppose I can start fantasising about the manatees returning now...
 
@cerperal We'll see what the years to come will bring. As for recent years, there have been some really amazing additions. But from the perspective of a regular visitor, this may actually appear far less impressive. The Okapis likely mean, there won't be any progress with the lions anytime soon. And the constant upgrades of the "monkey house" aka "species conservation building" likely mean, there won't be any orangs in the near future.

As for manatees: They didn't communicate anything about the planned Amazon building for ages and it hasn't even been mentioned/listed in the last update of the master plan. I think this project is kind of dead for the time being.
 
cerperal said:
Oh wow! Sounds like a guarantee that it will be moved into the primate house, and that will certainly be a fantastic addition to the already impressive lemur collection - surely it will be the only collection with both sifaka and Aye-Aye? Hopefully there are more surprises in store over the next few years, certainly it's making the wait for the Elephant House more palatable. It seems like Tierpark is finally getting the focus it deserves species-wise as much as they architectural developments.

I suppose I can start fantasising about the manatees returning now...
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I would love to see manatees retourning to the collection. On the sifaka+aye-aye collection, the SDZ still has an elderly individual and aye aye, so Tierpark wouldn't be the first but I'm sure that both species are great. Just to ask, but when is the elephant house set to open? And is there a list for the animals that are going to be there? Thanks for the information!
Edit: I just remembered that cincinnati also has sifakas+aye-aye.
 
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Xavier GM said:
I would love to see manatees retourning to the collection. On the sifaka+aye-aye collection, the SDZ still has an elderly individual and aye aye, so Tierpark wouldn't be the first but I'm sure that both species are great. Just to ask, but when is the elephant house set to open? And is there a list for the animals that are going to be there? Thanks for the information!
Edit: I just remembered that cincinnati also has sifakas+aye-aye.
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Speaking about Sifakas: Zootierliste also reports 2,0 Sifakas arrived from Duke's Lemur Centre in Durham making it 2,2 again!!! It's kind of hard to believe all this stuff is actually is happening.

As to the elephant building: They really started making progress and soon the whole roof should be finished which actually was the most important step. But the grand opening is scheduled for 2026. I guess, there is still a lot to do.
As for species: African Elephants, Central African Ratels, Yellow-Spotted Rock Hyraxes, Gundis, Village Weavers, Aldabra Giant Tortoises and a number of "smaller" reptiles which I would have to look up but which may also still change.
 
markmeier said:
As for species: African Elephants, Central African Ratels, Yellow-Spotted Rock Hyraxes, Gundis, Village Weavers, Aldabra Giant Tortoises and a number of "smaller" reptiles which I would have to look up but which may also still change.
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Glad to read the ratels will get a new exhibit, they have one of the worst exhibits at the park in the moment. The rest of the lineup sounds incredible too, what will happen to the current giant tortoise if these move to the elephant house?
And the aye-ayes are just amazing, I can't wait to see their finalized exhibit.
 
SivatheriumGuy said:
Glad to read the ratels will get a new exhibit, they have one of the worst exhibits at the park in the moment. The rest of the lineup sounds incredible too, what will happen to the current giant tortoise if these move to the elephant house?
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I think the small house and outside exhibit of the giant tortoises will end up just like the snake farm and the crocodile building: Closed down and demolished. And I also wouldn't be surprised, if they eventually cut off the small complex with small carnivores where the ratels are now kept just like they did with the former sunbear complex which also wasn't any attractive.

In fact, I just discussed some of these recent developments (new species and projects as well as removal of old species or complexes) with a friend who also experienced all of this. We both agreed that you just can never know what the Tierpark will do next.

Some years ago, of course you could have told me there soon will be Okapis in the Tierpark and they'll even plan to build a science and breeding station for Northern White Rhinos.
Or that the monkey house would soon be transformed into an inofficial Madagascar complex with a really nice mixed species exhibit with red ruffed lemurs, red-bellied lemurs, collared lemurs and radiated tortoises, with Coquerel's Sifakas and even with rarely kept nocturnal species such as Malagasy Giant Jumping Rats and Aye Aye (the latter even in a nocturnal exhibit).
And that is without counting the separate lemur station/complex with the lemur island, the walk-through exhibit and the breeding complex behind the scenes - not to mention the small island with the obligatory ring-tailed lemurs. But I don't think I would have believed any of it. Rather I'd have felt like this radiated tortoise: "What's actually going on here and where are all these fluffy fellows coming from out of nowhere?"
 
markmeier said:
I think the small house and outside exhibit of the giant tortoises will end up just like the snake farm and the crocodile building: Closed down and demolished. And I also wouldn't be surprised, if they eventually cut off the small complex with small carnivores where the ratels are now kept just like they did with the former sunbear complex which also wasn't any attractive.

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I am not so harsh about that complex. The exhibits are not that small, just not suitable for ratels. They fit more or less for smaller tree-dwelling species like small tropical cats, some civets or mustelids.
 
Philipine eagle said:
I am not so harsh about that complex. The exhibits are not that small, just not suitable for ratels. They fit more or less for smaller tree-dwelling species like small tropical cats, some civets or mustelids.
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I didn't mean to pass judgment on them. That's just how I interpret the tastes and preferences of the new adomistration. If they cannot make it appear modern and shiny, they don't really want it (i.e. publicly display it). I'm actually surprised they didn't cut off the deadend by the seagull dome/aviary. Some of these exhibits look even more outdated than the complex for small carnivores. But I would be kind of surprised, if we see much of either complex in 5 to 10 years.
 
markmeier said:
I didn't mean to pass judgment on them. That's just how I interpret the tastes and preferences of the new adomistration. If they cannot make it appear modern and shiny, they don't really want it (i.e. publicly display it). I'm actually surprised they didn't cut off the deadend by the seagull dome/aviary. Some of these exhibits look even more outdated than the complex for small carnivores. But I would be kind of surprised, if we see much of either complex in 5 to 10 years.
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What do you mean by deadend by the gull aviary? The zone with the tamanduas and Roloway monkeys?
I think the ratel/civet cages could make a really nice set of aviaries for endangered South-east Asian birds, given the proximity to the Alfred-Brehm Haus.
 
SivatheriumGuy said:
What do you mean by deadend by the gull aviary? The zone with the tamanduas and Roloway monkeys?
I think the ratel/civet cages could make a really nice set of aviaries for endangered South-east Asian birds, given the proximity to the Alfred-Brehm Haus.
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Yes, that's the one I meant. And of course, I may be wrong. It just would fit into the pattern.
 
As the year comes to an end, some politians visited the park to inspect some of the finished and upcoming projects. Unfortunately, there aren't many actual news about this visit. But at least it seems like the administration is preparing some festivities for the upcoming 70th anniversary of the park. But of course, they don't want to tell what exactly their plans are. But as they can't open any big new complex like Savannah ("too early") or Elephant Building (too late), they'll have to be creative.

So I thought may be we can think about some (realistic) things we would wish for the Tierpark.

I guess, I'll just start.
Species/Building Projects:
At the moment, I am actually more than happy with the latest arrivals.
But I would love to have some small lemurs like mouse lemurs to complement the collection even further.
I would also love to have more small non-mammal species. For instance, I think of the prior plans to add some terrariums to the treetop walkway inside the Brehm building which never got realized but shouldn't be too expensive.
Also, I would love to have some walk-through aviaries for (water) birds. The collection has gone down hill and this really is a loss.

Minor improvements
I would love to have more and more in depth publications again. An anniversary would be a great occasion for this.
And of course I would love to get more frequent and more profound updates on ongoing projects as well as current plans for upcoming ones.

So what about you?
 
The current director seems not to like smaller animals. He previously managed Munich Zoo which has very few fish, herps or small mammals for its size. It looks like there is space in the Berlin metropolitan area for a new modern oceanarium / reptile zoo and a separate bird park.
 
Jurek7 said:
The current director seems not to like smaller animals. He previously managed Munich Zoo which has very few fish, herps or small mammals for its size. It looks like there is space in the Berlin metropolitan area for a new modern oceanarium / reptile zoo and a separate bird park.
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Why do people like this get to manage entire zoological collections?
 
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