Wilhelma Zoo Wilhelma zoo, Stuttgart

Bib Fortuna said:
To answer your question :

The Gorilla nursery is now near by the indoor exhibit of the breeding Group;only seperated by a window and a fence. So the gorilla babies have optical and soft physical contact to the adult Gorillas, and they are almost part of the social life in a Gorilla Group.But of course tehy ahve hding places, if tehy don't want to have any contact to the adults. If the handraised Gorillas are old enough for a compelte contact, the window can be opened in a small part, big enough for the handraised animals and the natural raised babies in the Groups, so they can visit each other, but its not big enough for the adults-so its impossible to them, to get into the "Baby exhibit".
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Thank you for this, hopefully this will help the handraised babies deal with adult gorillas better as they grow.
 
I dont often post on European zoo forums but I just had to when I saw this tragic story. Anton the polar bear has died. Someone dropped or threw their purse and coat in his enclosure and for some reason he ate them. No one told the zoo something had dropped so the zoo didnt know what was wrong with him. Unfortunately by the time they figured out he had eaten something he shouldnt have it was too late. Unfortunately they couldnt save poor Anton.

This leads me to many questions about the incident. How do you lose your coat and purse in an enclosure and not report it? Forget the danger to the animal you probably see eating it but with your purse and coat you would lose your ID, money, banking cards, keys, cell, ect. Why wouldnt someone report that just to get the stuff back? Which leads me to a horrible thought. What if the objects ended up in there on purpose? Which I sincerely hope isnt the case but I dont get how someone could lose those things and not report it. And why would a polar bear want to eat a coat and purse? Sure he might tear it up for fun but eat it to the point keepers dont see evidence of it in his enclosure when cleaning is very odd. Its not food. He would know that. It shouldnt have been tasty to him. Perfulme might have made it smell good but one he started chowing down it shouldnt have been tasty, right?

Its all very, very odd and tragically sad for poor Anton. I wish the article had more information but then again the zoo might not know much at this point.

Polar bear dies after eating zoo visitor's bag and coat | World | News | Daily Express
 
TZFan, This is indeed tragic, and I agree with your suspicions. I would have to think that whoever dropped the coat and purse not only did it on purpose, but also laced them with something that would entice the bear to eat them. There are many zoo-hating crazies out there, and they know that an incident like this only helps their side build the argument that zoos are evil. I've long said that most zoo-haters (PETA, IDA, Hancocks) are not animals lovers at all, but they are more in love with their own political agenda.
 
Actually I would say an incident like this would build a better argument for people are stupid and should be in padded, rounded fiber glass tunnels while in zoos. Sadly thats regardless of whether it was an accident or something much worse (which I hope its not).

I would like to say it wasnt someone doing something so cruel and destructive as what you suggest but the fact that its so odd I just dont know if they can rule out something horrible. I want it to just be a tragic accident more than anything else. A careless, thoughtless accident. I dont know if the zoo haters would kill a bear just to make their point. I do think if it was intentional the person is clearly disturbed and in serious need of help.

Theres limited articles for us North Americans to read so Im wondering if theres much out there for Germans or Europeans in general that might give us a clearer idea of what happened.
 
Translated press release from Stuttgart's website:

Polar Bear Anton died swallowed visitors Jacket
On the night of Monday, the polar bear Anton died in the Wilhelma. Cause of death was a foreign body. Found swallowed parts of a jacket or bag, which was probably like a visitor from carelessness into the enclosure. Anton was 25 years old.

Wild animals tend to hide very long suffering and diseases, since any sign of weakness in the wild will be immediately exploited by enemies. The fact that something was wrong with Anton, was in any case only seen when he behaved strangely and began to vomit pieces of tissue. Veterinarian and zookeeper administered to him then immediately laxatives, which he finally retired other parts of the foreign body. Apparently, however, not all, Anton finally died of severe intestinal injury and inflammation, as early research Veterinäruntersuchungsamt on Monday morning revealed. Why the polar bear has ever eaten the bag including jacket, rather than just break down, as he has already done with other found objects in his enclosure, also the keepers is a mystery. "It must have been something very delicious is the Anton could not resist," suggests his nurse Woessner Andreas and Jürgen Deisenhofer.

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon in zoos, and in the Wilhelma not mean that visitors can accidentally or carelessly drop items in ponds and enclosures. When the polar bear, an electric fence has to a large part of the enclosure discs can not prevent in the past 20 years, about 200 children's shoes in the water landed, as well as around 50 pacifiers per year, countless hats, cameras, cell phones and eyeglasses. Only if the owner or observer in time the incident or loss report, there is a chance to remove especially the larger objects in time. "If we had known that something was in the pen, we had Anton might be able to save even more," said veterinarian Tobias Knauf Witzens. "Because then you would possibly an emetic nor can bring the remaining parts to the fore. We ask visitors urgently to pay very well for their things to not throw anything into the enclosure and to report any loss immediately. "

One thing is certain: Anton is not the first victim of foreign bodies in enclosures that end up here at the end in the animals' stomachs. Many years ago Hippo Egon died of a bowel obstruction caused by a tennis ball, and also the last elephant seal Wilhelma, Charly, cost a swallowed stuffed animal life. Without the incident with the jacket Anton could still live a good ten to 15 years. He was born on 13.12.1989 in Karlsruhe Zoo and was drafted in 1992 along with three other young female polar bears in the newly opened facility for Bears and Mountain Animals Wilhelma. In 2007, he and the polar bear Corinna's parents Wilbär who lives in Orsa Park in Sweden today.
 
I've seen some crazy stuff out there while visiting zoos, especially in Europe. When I was trying to find the Attica Zoo near Athens, Greece, it was particularly difficult because the zoo-haters had gone out of their way to spray paint over every single sign that gave directions to the Zoo. While this is in no way as bad as killing a polar bear, it did show me to what lengths they will go to hurt zoos. They must have done thousands of dollars in damage to those signs.
 
Thanks Nisha for posting a translated article. While translations obviously have issues it helps explain the problem a little better. I still dont get how someone could lose their purse or coat and not report the loss. Perhaps Im more observant of what I have than others. Its still very very odd.

Hopefully though the incident will encourage people to report dropped items more often whether theirs or someone elses. Cant take the risk with animals who dont know its not a toy or food. I think its a good part of why my local zoo, Toronto, put up glass around its polar bear habitat. Keep the animals safe... didnt stop a reporter from accidentally throwing his mic in the pool during when he threw a pumpkin in during a report. Look that one up on youtube. The look on his face is priceless. Type in Tom Brown and polar bears.

Thanks again Nisha. I appreciate the help.
 
-Indian Rhino"Sani"is pregnant with her sixth calf-due in September/October.
-48 Years old Pygmy Hippo"Hannibal"is doing well-
-Lion House almost empty_1.1 Sumatran Tigers,1,0 Persian Leopard and Snowleopard-thats it, but two exhibits are under construction for new animals. Species ? Snowleopards still signed at their tiny "exhibit"across the exhibit for polar bears, but I've seen no animal in it.The new exhibit in the Lion House is much better for them.
-exhibt for Bison enlarged-
-European Mufflons and Bezoar goats left the zoo-at the place of their exhibits, a new car tunnel is under construction
-three calfs of Sahara-Dorcas gazelles are Born
-the former Young Ape Station in the"Young Animalhouse"is under construction for new animals-because that house has now a southamercian theme, I guess, a small south amercian species will move in.
-new exhibt for mediterran reptiles outside of the Crocodile Hall-of course, because the new director is a"Reptile Guy". This exhibit is well done.
-two new male Geladas have arrived from Zurich
-two calfs of lesser Kudu are Born
-a Group of five Indian Flying foxes are now on Display in the Butterfly House, and the Sebas Short-Tailed bats ( Carollia perspicillata)moved into the Amazonia-House-the green iguans there are now live free in the hosue-their enclourse is prepared for an Anconda.

And last but not least-the bonobs and gorillas are using their new outdoor exhibit very well.
 
As far Lion House: you highlight 3 species … only!

But the snow leopards are on the Alpine section (with bears and Alpine ibex) no…? The are still in a tiny stainless steel "cage" over there. A shame really, … if they could only be on exhibit on that rock wall somewhere ..!!!
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
As far Lion House: you highlight 3 species … only!

But the snow leopards are on the Alpine section (with bears and Alpine ibex) no…? The are still in a tiny stainless steel "cage" over there. A shame really, … if they could only be on exhibit on that rock wall somewhere ..!!!
Click to expand...

I don't know, if there are still snowleopards in their tiny Cages in the alpine section. The Cages were still signed, but I havn't seen an animal in it. In the Lionhouse, they are now in the second exhibit,which is well done with rocks, climbing trees and many little living trees and bushes.I havn't seen a snowleopard in it, only a crate, so I guess,the animal was hiding in it, and I would say, it can't be that long in this exhibit.I hope, the new director will stop keeping snow Leopards in the Cage in the alpine section-it it one of the worst snowleopard exhibits I know, and it is build in 1991...

As I said, two exhibits in the Lion House are under construction-I guess, for much smaller species, maybe some small, dayactive carnivours.
 
Succes with the Rock hyraxes. The breeding group is 1.2 but now the 2 females have given birth to no less then 7 young !
Also the Geladas - which live in the same enclosure as the Rock hyraxes - were succesfull, 5 new babies were produced by the 2 new breeding-males which came last year from Zürich Zoo.
 
3 Gillen's pygmy monitor were hatched Oct. 2014 and are now on display next to their parents. Wilhelma has a special connection with this species, they had the German first breeding with it in 2006.
 
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