Berlin Tierpark Tierpark Berlin News 2025

 
Birth of 2 Przewalski's Horses.
Tierpark Berlin on Instagram: "Gestern haben wir zum ersten Mal einen Blick auf unseren jüngsten Przewalskipferd-Nachwuchs werfen können. ❤ Die beiden Stutfohlen schlafen noch viel, bleiben nah bei ihren Müttern und erkunden neugierig ihre Umgebung. Während bei uns in Berlin neues Leben entsteht, ist in Kasachstan ein großes Projekt erfolgreich weitergegangen: Im Juni 2024 sind vier Przewalski-Pferde vom Tierpark Berlin aus in die rund 4.000 Kilometer entfernte Steppe Altyn Dala in Kasachstan gereist. Nach einigen Monaten Eingewöhnung im Wiederansiedlungszentrum Alibi war es vor Kurzem endlich soweit: Die Tore gingen auf – und die Berliner Wildpferde konnten in ihre neue Heimat starten. Jetzt leben sie dort als erste Herde in einem Gebiet, in dem ihre Art vor über 200 Jahren schon einmal zu Hause war. Und während sie dort ihr neues Zuhause genießen, wächst hier in Berlin bereits die nächste Generation heran. A glimpse of new life! Yesterday, we caught our very first glimpse of our newest Przewalski’s horse foals. ❤ The two young fillies are still sleeping a lot, staying close to their mothers, and curiously exploring their surroundings. While new life is beginning here in Berlin, a major project has made great progress in Kazakhstan: In June 2024, four Przewalski’s horses set off from Tierpark Berlin on a 4,000-kilometre journey to the Altyn Dala steppe in Kazakhstan. After several months of acclimatization at the Alibi reintroduction centre, the moment finally arrived: the gates opened, and the Berlin wild horses set off into their new home. Now they’re roaming freely as the first herd in a region where their species once lived over 200 years ago. And while they settle into their new life, the next generation is already growing up here in Berlin. "
 
This year, I hardly find the time to post any updates.

But there definitely are some news worth sharing.

- Just some days ago, the Berlin Zoos published their joint annual report. I haven't had time to read much of it yet. But it confirms that they have to save money - which makes bigger building projects a challenge. These projects are often co-funded by public as well as their own funds - both of which are quite limited right now.

- The elephant building is now scheduled to open in late 2026.
In the meantime, they started doing public tours of the building (for 36 Euro per person) and someone reported on such a guided tour on Facebook. So apparently, they will be receiving a family group with some female elephants along with a calf in Summer 2026. Two bulls are to come a bit later so they can start breeding with the group.
According to another source, this refers to the group in Halle around "Pori". If this is correct, they would pretty much start with 7 elephants (0,4 + 1,0 bull calf from Halle + 2 bulls from elsewhere) which can eventually become a much larger group of up to 21 specimen.
They also confirmed that animals from the large savannah exhibit can enter the elephant exhibit (but not all animals and not vice versa).
And as @Sifaka41 asked about this: The last update I know of still confirmes the following species for the elephant building itself: African elephants (obviously), honey badgers, rock hyraxes, gundis, elephant shrews (Macroscelides proboscideus), a large group of village weavers, Aldabra giant tortoises and a number of smaller reptiles (e.g. gabune vipers, cape cobras, Angolan python, Malagassy giant chameleons as well as other snakes and tortoises. There has also been speculation on whether or not the larger black and rufous elepphant shrews (Rhynchocyon petersi) could be on display. By the way, the annual report lists 5,2 offspring for this species in 2024.
Either way, the concept of the building will be somewhat similar to that of the Brehm building - allbeit with a very strong focus on the elephants and thus featuring slightly less biodiversity.
- Sadly, the annual report confirms that the last daurian pika died. So now there aren't any more specimen let alone breeding populations in European zoos.

- They have been working on the visitor's area of the water buffalo exhibit. I wonder, if this could come as a preparation to switch the animals for bantengs (as has been planned and announced for quite some time now).

- As far as I know, there still aren't any new developments with the switching of spotted hyena and African wild dogs or with the construction of the bird aviaries.
 
Last edited:
markmeier said:
- They have been working on the visitor's area of the water buffalo exhibit. I wonder, if this could come as a preparation to switch the animals for bantengs (as has been planned and announced for quite some time now).
Click to expand...
Will the water buffaloes stay at the Tierpark or is it assumed they will be phased out?
 
SivatheriumGuy said:
Will the water buffaloes stay at the Tierpark or is it assumed they will be phased out?
Click to expand...

I don't know their plans. As with the cape buffalo - rhino station situation there is a good chance it would be a swap. But in either case there may be still another spot somewhere in the park (i.e. if they were to go for it, they could make the space I'd guess)
 
markmeier said:
This year, I hardly find the time to post any updates.

But there definitely are some news worth sharing.

- Just some days ago, the Berlin Zoos published their joint annual report. I haven't had time to read much of it yet. But it confirms that they have to save money - which makes bigger building projects a challenge. These projects are often co-funded by public as well as their own funds - both of which are quite limited right now.

- The elephant building is now scheduled to open in late 2026.
In the meantime, they started doing public tours of the building (for 36 Euro per person) and someone reported on such a guided tour on Facebook. So apparently, they will be receiving a family group with some female elephants along with a calf in Summer 2026. Two bulls are to come a bit later so they can start breeding with the group.
According to another source, this refers to the group in Halle around "Pori". If this is correct, they would pretty much start with 7 elephants (0,4 + 1,0 bull calf from Halle + 2 bulls from elsewhere) which can eventually become a much larger group of up to 21 specimen.
They also confirmed that animals from the large savannah exhibit can enter the elephant exhibit (but not all animals and not vice versa).
And as @Sifaka41 asked about this: The last update I know of still confirmes the following species for the elephant building itself: African elephants (obviously), honey badgers, rock hyraxes, gundis, elephant shrews (Macroscelides proboscideus), a large group of village weavers, Aldabra giant tortoises and a number of smaller reptiles (e.g. gabune vipers, cape cobras, Angolan python, Malagassy giant chameleons as well as other snakes and tortoises. There has also been speculation on whether or not the larger black and rufous elepphant shrews (Rhynchocyon petersi) could be on display. By the way, the annual report lists 5,2 offspring for this species in 2024.
Either way, the concept of the building will be somewhat similar to that of the Brehm building - allbeit with a very strong focus on the elephants and thus featuring slightly less biodiversity.
- Sadly, the annual report confirms that the last daurian pika died. So now there aren't any more specimen let alone breeding populations in European zoos.

- They have been working on the visitor's area of the water buffalo exhibit. I wonder, if this could come as a preparation to switch the animals for bantengs (as has been planned and announced for quite some time now).

- As far as I know, there still aren't any new developments with the switching of spotted hyena and African wild dogs or with the construction of the bird aviaries.
Click to expand...
Could you send the link to the annual report? I couldn‘t find it online.
 
markmeier said:
This year, I hardly find the time to post any updates.

But there definitely are some news worth sharing.

- Just some days ago, the Berlin Zoos published their joint annual report. I haven't had time to read much of it yet. But it confirms that they have to save money - which makes bigger building projects a challenge. These projects are often co-funded by public as well as their own funds - both of which are quite limited right now.

- The elephant building is now scheduled to open in late 2026.
In the meantime, they started doing public tours of the building (for 36 Euro per person) and someone reported on such a guided tour on Facebook. So apparently, they will be receiving a family group with some female elephants along with a calf in Summer 2026. Two bulls are to come a bit later so they can start breeding with the group.
According to another source, this refers to the group in Halle around "Pori". If this is correct, they would pretty much start with 7 elephants (0,4 + 1,0 bull calf from Halle + 2 bulls from elsewhere) which can eventually become a much larger group of up to 21 specimen.
They also confirmed that animals from the large savannah exhibit can enter the elephant exhibit (but not all animals and not vice versa).
And as @Sifaka41 asked about this: The last update I know of still confirmes the following species for the elephant building itself: African elephants (obviously), honey badgers, rock hyraxes, gundis, elephant shrews (Macroscelides proboscideus), a large group of village weavers, Aldabra giant tortoises and a number of smaller reptiles (e.g. gabune vipers, cape cobras, Angolan python, Malagassy giant chameleons as well as other snakes and tortoises. There has also been speculation on whether or not the larger black and rufous elepphant shrews (Rhynchocyon petersi) could be on display. By the way, the annual report lists 5,2 offspring for this species in 2024.
Either way, the concept of the building will be somewhat similar to that of the Brehm building - allbeit with a very strong focus on the elephants and thus featuring slightly less biodiversity.
- Sadly, the annual report confirms that the last daurian pika died. So now there aren't any more specimen let alone breeding populations in European zoos.

- They have been working on the visitor's area of the water buffalo exhibit. I wonder, if this could come as a preparation to switch the animals for bantengs (as has been planned and announced for quite some time now).

- As far as I know, there still aren't any new developments with the switching of spotted hyena and African wild dogs or with the construction of the bird aviaries.
Click to expand...
21 elephants is a huge number to house, how big is the entire elephant complex.
 
Mr.Ivory said:
21 elephants is a huge number to house, how big is the entire elephant complex.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, I am not sure about the numbers. I have heared different versions. But the inside area should be a couple thousand square metres up to 7.000 square metres (depending on the source). The three outside exhibits are a couple thousand square metres each (and apparently could be connected?).
 
markmeier said:
This year, I hardly find the time to post any updates.

But there definitely are some news worth sharing.

- Just some days ago, the Berlin Zoos published their joint annual report. I haven't had time to read much of it yet. But it confirms that they have to save money - which makes bigger building projects a challenge. These projects are often co-funded by public as well as their own funds - both of which are quite limited right now.

- The elephant building is now scheduled to open in late 2026.
In the meantime, they started doing public tours of the building (for 36 Euro per person) and someone reported on such a guided tour on Facebook. So apparently, they will be receiving a family group with some female elephants along with a calf in Summer 2026. Two bulls are to come a bit later so they can start breeding with the group.
According to another source, this refers to the group in Halle around "Pori". If this is correct, they would pretty much start with 7 elephants (0,4 + 1,0 bull calf from Halle + 2 bulls from elsewhere) which can eventually become a much larger group of up to 21 specimen.
They also confirmed that animals from the large savannah exhibit can enter the elephant exhibit (but not all animals and not vice versa).
Click to expand...
Does this mean that Zoo Halle will lose their breeding group alltogheter????
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Does this mean that Zoo Halle will lose their breeding group alltogheter????
Click to expand...

Well, so far all of this is uncertain. But a couple of sources claim that Halle more or less publicly announced the upcoming transfer (I haven't read it anywhere though). One source stated it's only a temporary thing as they want to extend their exhibit.
But if the elephants were to breed they may not have enough space to let them all return. And I don't see, why Berlin Tierpark should start with this group and then start over again a couple of years after that. The goal was to get a small herd and let it grow.

I guess we'll have to wait for official announcements by both zoos.
 
markmeier said:
Well, so far all of this is uncertain. But a couple of sources claim that Halle more or less publicly announced the upcoming transfer (I haven't read it anywhere though). One source stated it's only a temporary thing as they want to extend their exhibit.
But if the elephants were to breed they may not have enough space to let them all return. And I don't see, why Berlin Tierpark should start with this group and then start over again a couple of years after that. The goal was to get a small herd and let it grow.

I guess we'll have to wait for official announcements by both zoos.
Click to expand...
Fair enough. Thanks anyway ...!! And once more, thanks for all your updates ..., even like me strapped for time.

If I next make it to Berlin, perhaps we could go over things together.
 
Hello, I'm going to visit Tierpark Berlin for the first time in August. I plan to spend a full day and a half day there. Could you tell me where the tamanduas, honey badgers, harpy eagles, flying squirrels Petaurista alborufus, and ayes-ayes are located? What other rarities should I not miss, especially among birds?
Also, is the bird show worth seeing, and if so, where is it and at what time?
What other tips can you give me to make the most of my visit?
Thank you in advance for your answers.
 
The tamanduas can be easily missed and aren’t a guarantee to see but they are to the right after the moose and ural owl (opposite of the Roloway monkey), Honey badgers can also be easily missed next to the reindeer at the Rainforest house, the squirrels are in the Pheasantry, aye-ayes in the monkey house, harpy eagle is near the buffaloes.
 
Tamandua56 said:
What other rarities should I not miss, especially among birds?
Click to expand...
Pay attention to the laughingthrushes and other passerines scattered around the aviaries, mostly in the pheasantry. Other than that in the raptor aviaries you have the red-headed vultures and a bunch of rarely seen owl species, you don't often see great bustards in zoos, the pelican variety was a highlight of my visit, the gull aviary is also a must see with some really cool species,... Those were my main avian highlights, don't forget to check the wonderful vulture aviary behind the Alfred-Brehm-Haus either.
 
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