Natur- und Tierpark Goldau Zoo Goldau

Haliaeetus said:
It's funny as I've written, a couple of weeks ago, an article (in French language) on my blog, hoping for a strenthening of the Syrian/Persian Brown Bear population in European zoos, more changes with Near Eastern / Caucasian zoos (actually the case with Tbilisi/Goldau !), and for their quick comeback in French ones (that used to keep them for decades, but completely cease that a few years ago with the departure of the last bears from Montpellier Zoo ; keep in mind that once there were these bears in the 2 main Parisian zoos, and perhaps even in the small Jardin d'Acclimatation).

The paradox of Brown Bears is that the species is LC globally, but with a lot of very threatened subpopulations (I don't talk about subspecies in most cases, the fragmentation in numerous subpopulations in our continent being the result of quite recent anthropogenic pressures, with no genetic basis for various subspecies, even if there are various bear ecotypes that reflect the diversity of the environments and climates of the countries where the bears live) especially in Europe and Middle East.
The situation of the species in zoos could mirror that, with a widespread presence in many zoos on the continent (according to Zootierliste, around 180 European zoos keep them) but little involvement of them in conservation programs ; some zoochatters having publicly disapproved here any breeding of Brown Bears in European zoos. The priority may have given in recent years to more threatened (on a global scale) tropical bears like Spectacled and Malayan ones.
The case of the rescued bears poses a supplementary problem : many recent historical events including the fall of Iron Curtain (unveiling the keeping of Brown Bears by private holders in very poor conditions, in numerous roadside zoos, hotels, restaurants, touristic resorts...), the Yugoslavian wars and recent accession to EU membership of some Eastern countries (I think mainly to Romania and Bulgaria) having raised the concerns on animal welfare, plus the outlawing of keeping of wild animals in circuses. All these events prompted the massive arrival of rescued (and most frequently non-breeding) Brown Bears within European zoos (most in the West but not only).

I may conclude that the maintaining of breeding populations of European Brown Bears would be useful for various purposes (not much the short-term reintroduction itself, but more the sensibilization to the general European public to bear conservation, as you have noticed various issues in countries like France, Italy or even Sweden), as obviously the comeback of a viable population of Syrian/Persian Brown Bears, as you should "bear" in mind.
Click to expand...

The Syrian Bear seems to have(had?) been pretty much written off by both European zoos and conservationists.
An interesting piece was included in Hamerton's report for 2023. It seems that they took some of the last viable cubs born in Europe on the promise of mixing them up at maturity with animals due to be imported by a group of German zoos headed by Goldau, from confiscations in Armenia. But, all of these Armemian animals have since been discovered to be hybrids, as might perhaps be expected given their origin from an area lying between the historical range of the Syrian Bear and that of the European Brown Bear.
If all of the animals surviving in Armenia and adjacent countries do indeed turn out to be hybrids, then the (sub?)species is in all practicality already extinct.
It is ironic to think that Hamerton's animals, still kept as a sibling group into maturity, are now implanted. The other and potentially easier, management choice would have been castration, but thankfully this has not been done.
Lets ALL hope the new females do not turn out to be hybrids too.
 
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edit to above, as out of time - I think it may have been Gotha, not Goldau.
Forgive me for getting my 'G's and indeed my countries! - mixed up.
 
In March the pair of Bearded Vultures (Gypaetus barbatus barbatus) acted as foster parents for a chick that hatched in Zoo Ostrava.

At the start of April a male Central European red deer (Cervus elaphus hippelaphus) arrived from Wildnispark Zürich Langenberg, Goldau now has 1.2 Central European red deer.

In April male European bison (Bison bonasus) Uragon arrived from Tierpark Bern.

Source:
Instagram of Zoo Goldau (11/03/2025)
Instagram of Zoo Goldau (01/04/2025)
Instagram of Zoo Goldau (11/04/2025)
 
 
Carpathian lynx kittens born:

First lynx offspring in over 25 years at Goldau zoo

Female lynx Matra gave birth to at least two cubs at Goldau Zoo, central Switzerland, almost a fortnight ago. This is the first time in more than a quarter of a century that lynx cubs have been born, the zoo announced.

Matra came to Goldau from Langenberg Zoo in Zurich in January and was mated with the male Bagheera.
 
Birth of European Wild Boars.
Natur- und Tierpark Goldau on Instagram: "Streifenlook im Wald Frischlinge – so nennt man die Jungtiere der Wildschweine – erkennt man sofort an ihrem typischen Streifenmuster. Diese Tarnung schützt sie in den ersten Lebenswochen perfekt vor Feinden, denn im hohen Gras oder Laub sind sie damit kaum zu sehen. Die kleinen Wildschweine sind neugierig, verspielt und halten sich stets in der Nähe ihrer Mutter auf, die sie in den ersten Monaten intensiv umsorgt und beschützt. Übrigens: Die Streifen verschwinden nach etwa drei Monaten – dann bekommen die Frischlinge ihr typische braune Wildschweinfarbe. Hast du unser diesjähriges Jungtier bereits entdeckt? Danke an unser Tierpflegerin Jasmin für die tollen Bilder! #Frischling #Wildschwein #tierparkgoldau"
 
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