A zoo in Nuremberg, Germany, has euthanised 12 baboons, citing a lack of space, despite protests from animal rights groups. The Tiergarten Nurnberg Zoo announced the killings on Tuesday, following months of controversy since first revealing the plan in February 2024.
The zoo stated that its population of Guinea baboons had grown to 43, far exceeding the capacity of its enclosure built in the late 2000s for 25 animals plus their young. This overcrowding led to increased conflicts among the primates. The zoo had previously relocated 16 baboons to zoos in Paris and China since 2011, but those institutions, along with a zoo in Spain, had reached their own limits. An attempt at contraception was also abandoned after failing to achieve desired results.
Protests escalated on Monday when the zoo announced preparations to begin the cull. On Tuesday morning, it closed for the day citing unspecified operational reasons. Police reported that several activists forced their way into the grounds, with some gluing themselves to the ground before being detained. Shortly after, the zoo confirmed the 12 baboons had been killed, according to German news agency dpa. Animal rights groups said they plan to file a criminal complaint.
The zoo maintained that it had examined offers to take in the animals but could not make any work. Euthanasia of animals in European zoos is not uncommon, though it often sparks public outcry, as seen in 2014 when Copenhagen Zoo killed a healthy giraffe and fed it to lions.
