Berlin Tierpark Tierpark Berlin news 2023

markmeier

markmeier

Well-Known Member
10+ year member
The Tierpark just posted a first outlook for 2023:
We wish you all a Happy New Year - with lots of health and happiness! May 2023 bring you exciting animal experiences - great things await you at Tierpark Berlin this year!
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I guess this hints at the dinosaur exhibition, which is going to start at the beginning of the new season. But the start of the 2023 season will also see the opening of the large Savannah exhibit with giraffes, zebras, White-Bearded Wildebeests, East African Oryx and Thomson's Gazelles etc. including the new giraffe trail as well as the new Asia enclosure with otters, barbirusas and black crested macaques.

Other than that, I am very much looking forward to seeing the Asian Golden Cats. And I am pretty sure there will be some more surprises along the way.
 
It seems like "Christmas at Tierpark" went through an evolution (just as with "Halloween at Tierpark" which even became Berlin's biggest Halloween Party for some years until it even became too big and they ended it). It's not really my cup of tea, but it does look interesting and presents the park in a new light:

They now have this event from the middle of November to the middle of January, so for a long stretch of Winter when there aren't many visitors.
 
Downsize is the park closes at 15:30 so you need keep walking and start at 9 if you would like to see the whole park. :)

And thank you markmeier. I really like your updates about tierpark; my favorite european zoo!

Do you (or does anybody else) know about a plan/map for the new “African corner”?
 
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According to the website, you have to enter by 15:30 and to leave no later than 16:00. But this won't get much better soon even without the Christmas programme. The park always closes at 16:30 from October 29th till February 26th (last entry at 15:30). So, "Christmas in the Tierpark" only costs you half an hour.

However, from February 27th till October 28th the park will always be open till 18:00, and from 26th of March till 24th of September even until 18:30. So if you can schedule your visits, you definitely want to come during the season. Not only do you get some hours added. You'll also see more of the animals outside and active anyways, have more variety of feedings/ shows/ keeper's talk and a free park train (which doesn't go the full round, though). Also, they tend to present new enclosures at the beginning of the season. Not to forget the offspring. And to be honest, nice weather makes the visit much more comfortable. You have to walk a lot and Tierpark tends to get quite a bit colder (and in open areas more windy) than the city Zoo. Even as a Tierpark enthusiast, I really think they should have reduced prices for winter/ off season.

About the Africa area: I don't think they'll have a separate map like for Himalaya. I guess they'll just update the big map again. It's usually quite up to date but I'm afraid it's not very detailed or much helpful for zoo nerds like ourselves (as you can see below):
csm_Tierpark_Plan_Winter_EN_7312ba673e.png
 
Some minor updates:

1) It seems like the are going to modernize the giraffe building as well. Apparently, it's closed now and there is some information along these lines. I don't expect major changes, as they probably want to reopen it together with the new complex in a couple of months. But they may at least give it a nicer look, some more signs/didactic elements. It would actually make a lot of sense, as they are putting some millions in the Savannah complex and the giraffe trail, whereas the giraffe building has been there for some decades and always had a rather simplistic appearance (brickstone, wood...) which isn't bad but doesn't fit the new immersive approach. Also, people will have to wait quite a long time before the elephant building opens. So why not put some focus on the giraffe building for the time being?

2) Some YouTuber made a short but nonetheless impressive clip about climbing the new Himalaya in somewhat authentic weather conditions in January 2023. It doesn't show the full complex or most of the enclosures. Still, it does give a very good impression on the general impression the new complex gives.

Edit: Apparently, you'll have to watch this on YouTube. But it's well worth the effort, if you ask me ;)

3) They start to have new offspring again. It will pick up until the climax is reached sometime around Easter:

I'm sure there'll be plenty of news soon, as they are going to install all the dinosaurs and finish work on Savannah, giraffe trail and otter enclosure. Also they should make further progress with the outdoor enclosures of the elephants. And hopefully, the golden cats will appear soon as well.
 
markmeier said:
It seems like the are going to modernize the giraffe building as well. I don't expect major changes, as they probably want to reopen it together with the new complex in a couple of months. But they may at least give it a nicer look, some more signs/didactic elements.
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They posted some updates or rather pictures which show...

...the redecoration
csm_20230110_115944_1a98a483cd.jpg

Picture: Tierpark Berlin

as well as an impression of the new interior.
csm_Giraffenhaus_Besucher_2022-07-26_58f1d1e535.jpg

Picture: Tierpark Berlin

As expected, they focus on visual effects in a very similar fashion to the refreshed monkey building (dark, elegant visitor's area, tree trunks). The center piece of the fence is going to be replaced by a large window, wheras the outside parts will largely "disappear" behind tree trunks.


Something else: I'm not sure, if I ever mentioned the Tierpark received some small sharks. It may not be a very big deal, but I do think it makes the water tanks in the main restaurant a bit more attractive (they got a number of interesting animals in there, including endangered species).
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Picture: W. Dreier/ Schueling Forum
 
While the visitors will receive a refurbished area inside the giraffe building, they will find a new explorers's camp (and the elevated giraffe trail) just outside the building to complement the large new Savannah enclosure:
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Picture: Tierpark Berlin

And while many visitors may enjoy the new sharks inside the restaurant building, others may prefer the dinosaur exhibition which will take place from Spring till October in the outside park area:
csm_Dino-Ausstellung_im_Tierpark_Berlin__9__050edaa844.jpg

Picture: Tierpark Berlin

And even though I haven't heard any new updates on it for some time now, I hope the otters, barbirusas and crested black macaques will also be ready for visitors by Spring.

If all of these projects work according to plan, 2023 could become a rather good year for the park.
 
Therabu said:
Such a shame there is no more interest to bring in a few more founders as the wild population is very vulnerable. Any idea idea if a zoo is working on it?
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Considering this is a Critically Endangered species endemic to a single small island and is also a CITES Appendix I species it doesn't surprise me that there is a lack of interest. The amount of logistics and bureaucracy involved is probably immense.
 
Apparently, there are only a few hundred specimen left in the wild. I even heard they are the rarest deer (sub-)species in the world. So it may actually be quite difficult to start new breeding populations. However, the Tierpark kind of has a reputation of trying difficult or new stuff like this, sometimes even as one of very few "pioneering" zoos. And if they actually are successful they often help starting new populations in Europe (e.g. Takins, Chacoan Peccary, Yellow-Footed Rock Wallabies...).
 
Fallax said:
Considering this is a Critically Endangered species endemic to a single small island
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That is exactly why it would make sense to catch a few wild specimens and breed safety population.
With one bad tsunami, boom the specie might be wiped out.
Institutions such as Jersey and Chester are also ones that could through the hassle of importing specimens to prevent potential extinction.
 
Therabu said:
That is exactly why it would make sense to catch a few wild specimens and breed safety population.
With one bad tsunami, boom the specie might be wiped out.
Institutions such as Jersey and Chester are also ones that could through the hassle of importing specimens to prevent potential extinction.
Click to expand...

Jersey have issues in importing ungulates due to biosecurity regulations to protect the island’s cows.
 
I just checked Zootierliste. Berlin received their first animals from Poznan in 2017. And Poznan received their first animals from zoos in Indonesia and Singapure in the late 80ies and early 90ies. So, unfortunately it seems like the European population never received fresh genes ever after that. But I am surprised Poznan states there are only 3 zoos breeding the species. What about Indonesia and (South East) Asia itself? They used to keep and breed Bawean Deer in the past. Why would they stop doing this? If there still are conservation efforts by zoos or breeding centers in Indonesia, however, Berlin Tierpark may well receive new animals. As far as I know, they still have quite excellent relations to Indonesia.
 
markmeier said:
What about Indonesia and (South East) Asia itself? They used to keep and breed Bawean Deer in the past. Why would they stop doing this? If there still are conservation efforts by zoos or breeding centers in Indonesia, however, Berlin Tierpark may well receive new animals. As far as I know, they still have quite excellent relations to Indonesia.
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This really intrigued me. So, I looked it up and this is what I found out:
Management activities have included termination of hunting, controlled burning of grassy areas within forests, and thinning of teak plantations to encourage understorey development (Blouch and Sumaryoto 1987). Since 2000 a captive breeding programme has been operative on Bawean; in 2006 it involved a founder population of two stags and five hinds, and by 2014 numbered 35 animals (Meijaard et al. 2014). About 300–350 animals are held in zoos and private captive breeding facilities off the island (G. Semiadi pers. comm. 2006).
Bawean Deer - Asian Species Action Partnership (speciesonthebrink.org)

If this information is accurate, the reserve population is about as big as the wild population. By the way, the wild population also is said to be quite stable by the way, but the assumed maximum of 500 existing specimen is just about the assumed "minimum figure for a population viable into the long term" which also is 500! So I guess, it's not quite as bad as I thought, but it still remains a critical situation.

Also: Surabaya Zoo/Indonesia still keeps and breeds Bawean Deer as of 2015:
A baby Hog Bawean deer playes with her family at Surabaya Zoo on... Nachrichtenfoto - Getty Images

Maybe Poznan was referring to zoos outside Indonesia and didn't include any other breeding facilities?
 
Apparently, the dinosaur exhibition will start in April. And it seems like they put a lot of effort into promoting this. They started spreading small hints months ago, they changed the website and now they even made a small video for it.

This is how the website now greets visitors:
csm_TPB_dino_header_1920x900_03_ram_11a071565c.jpg

Picture: Tierpark Berlin

And here the short but impressive video:
 
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