Tierpark Hellabrunn Chimp drowned?

[OrangePerson]

Anyone hear anything about a chimp drowning here recently?

 

[Chlidonias]

again? Or the 2007 drowning?

EDIT: found it:
http://dabozzz.com/tag/hellabrunn/

26 July 2012

chimpanzee lady is dead Püppi Why the 19-year-old females in Munich Hellabrunn climbed over the fence and drowned is still unclear. Her widower chimpanzee Toni mourns – and remains well with no companion

In Munich Hellabrunn after the death of the lady monkeys Püppi asked detective instinct.. Because no one knows why the usually calm and sedate climbed chimpanzee girl over the fence, fell into the ditch and died

What happened in the chimpanzee-air enclosure

.?Püppi was like every morning on the hotel grounds. She was alone. The other chimps were in the indoor enclosure. What happened then, about the staff of the zoo so far can only speculate

Only this much is known. Nurse heard how the females fell into the ditch behind the fence and rushed to her. This was announced by Verena Wiemann, staff member of the Munich Zoo Park Hellabrunn FOCUS Online. “It was about minutes,” says Wiemann. Pfleger Püppi found lifeless at 9.45 clock in the ditch. They should have immediately tried to rescue the female. But all Reanimierungsversuche were unsuccessful.

Whether they came through the fall to death or drowned in the ditch could not yet be said. The fact is that chimpanzees can not swim and the water like a stone sink. According to the Zoo will now Püppi autopsied. Meanwhile, several visitors have reported they could make statements about the incident, Wiemann told FOCUS Online. These would now be evaluated.

“We are very upset. The circumstances that led to the accidental death of Püppi are entirely unclear, “said zoo director to Dr. Andreas Knieriem. He is deeply affected: “It was so peaceful and nice chimp, who clearly felt comfortable on the plant and the water has never been approached. With such an accident, we did not expect. “

That climbs over the fence just so Püppi was unusual. The chimpanzee had been to the zoo for eight years and in that respect was never ostentatious. They have shown no prior behavioral problems. Also, there had been no quarrels with other chimps.
As Wiemann tells held at the time of the accident, many visitors to the accident site. There were especially many schools locally. It is believed may have been lured Püppi of the guests with food over the fence. . Could reportedly is an ice cream, another candy or who have been a for monkeys charming subject

If confirmed, this terrible suspicion, but one question remains: How could Püppi at all about the fence to create? Especially since this is not the only incident in Hellabrunn Munich Zoo. In September 2007, Franz chimpanzee died in similar circumstances. Also, he had climbed over the fence and then drowned in the moat.

As FOCUS Online from the employee to the Zoo learned of the fence was then increased to 1.5 meters. In addition, we have installed a safety net in the moat, which is designed to provide a chimpanzee in an emergency stop. . Püppi But this did not help

In order to protect the other monkeys, they were housed until further in the interior – the gorillas. The animals would cope well in the summer temperatures. “From the difficulties in this respect is not only time to go,” said Wiemann. On possible changes to the enclosure said Dr. Andreas Knieriem: “Before we make any changes in the moat, and address issues of enclosure security, we are waiting for witnesses to help hopefully in the investigation of the accident.”

Piippi partner Toni is now alone again. Whether he will get a new companion is still unclear. “It was difficult to find at all the Püppi for him,” says Wiemann. It was a difficult partner and I have already a stately age. Toni must now be seen how he copes without Piippi. Perhaps, Wiemann, “he has forgotten that in three to four days.”

 

[OrangePerson]

Thanks for finding this, I tried Googling words I'd translated but didn't come up with anything.

It is terrible, I'll be very interested to see what comes out of the enquiry. Moats are fraught with danger, I wonder if places where they've not had a fatality is down to luck or if there is something about the design that makes some less risky.

 

[Chlidonias]

Moats are fraught with danger, I wonder if places where they've not had a fatality is down to luck or if there is something about the design that makes some less risky.

I reckon its purely down to luck: an accident just hasn't happened yet. The sad thing is that zoos continue to construct moated ape enclosures despite it being well-known that they are a recognised and entirely preventable cause of deaths in zoos. (I was going to write "a leading cause of deaths" but I don't know if that's true at all). My personal viewpoint is that while it is true that not every moated enclosure has had accidents, why deliberately put that risk into the equation when designing an enclosure?!

 

[Pertinax]

My personal viewpoint is that while it is true that not every moated enclosure has had accidents, why deliberately put that risk into the equation when designing an enclosure?!

I think the 'looks good for the the visitors' arguement over-rides all other considerations. But accidents with Apes and moats have been happening for years. One of the first recorded and most famous incidents was at the Bronx Zoo. N.Y. in 1951, when the adult gorilla 'Makoko' tripped and fell into the moat on a Sunday afternoon in front of a capacity crowd. He sank like a stone and was dead when they pulled him out. There have been many similar incidents since, some not so well publicised, involving all three Great Ape species but still new enclosures, albeit with 'safety features' for the apes, follow this pattern more than any other.

 

[Jarkari]

I reckon its purely down to luck: an accident just hasn't happened yet. The sad thing is that zoos continue to construct moated ape enclosures despite it being well-known that they are a recognised and entirely preventable cause of deaths in zoos. (I was going to write "a leading cause of deaths" but I don't know if that's true at all). My personal viewpoint is that while it is true that not every moated enclosure has had accidents, why deliberately put that risk into the equation when designing an enclosure?!

Atleast here in NSW moated enclosures must be designed to specific standards to minimise the risks of an animal drowning. They dont just drop awayits kind of like a swimming pool to a point then it might drop away. the animal would have to intentionally leap as far out as possible to drown. atleast thats how its supposed to be.

 

[Pertinax]

Nowadays these moats are usually designed with a shallow drop or sloping shelf on the Apes' side, plus various safety handholds etc to minimise the risks, but I think they are still there.