12 healthy baboons euthanised at German zoo due to overcrowding, sparks outrage
Nuremberg, Germany: The Nuremberg Zoo is under intense scrutiny after euthanising 12 healthy Guinea baboons due to overcrowding, a move that has drawn condemnation from animal rights groups and sparked widespread public outrage.
According to a statement issued by the zoo on Tuesday, the decision followed several failed attempts to rehome the animals or control the population through contraceptive methods. The baboon troop had grown to 40 members, far exceeding the enclosure’s intended capacity of 25. Zoo officials said the overcrowding led to heightened aggression and frequent injuries among the animals, making the situation unsustainable.
"There was no other option," the zoo stated, noting that it had already warned the public in February 2024 about the possibility of culling due to space constraints.
The facility remained closed to visitors on Tuesday for "operational reasons," though many believe the closure was directly linked to the controversial euthanisation.
Animal rights group Pro Wildlife filed a criminal complaint against the zoo, accusing it of violating animal protection laws. "Healthy animals had to be killed because the zoo maintained irresponsible and unsustainable breeding policies for decades. This culling was avoidable and illegal in our opinion," the group told DW News.
Several other advocacy organisations have echoed this condemnation, demanding accountability and systemic changes to zoo management practices.
Zoo director Dag Encke defended the decision, telling the BBC that the action was taken after “years-long consideration” and complied with guidelines set by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA). He described culling as “a legitimate last resort to preserve the population.”
Despite the defence, critics argue that the zoo has not outlined concrete measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
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Delegation requests for Karnataka HC Bench in coastal districts, hands petition to Chief Justice
Udupi: A delegation of the High Court Bench Struggle Committee met and submitted a petition to the Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru at the Circuit House urging the opening of a High Court Bench in the coastal belt as well as a Mobile High Court Bench in Mangaluru.
MLC and convener of the Committee Ivan D’Souza, who spoke to the Chief Justice on the occasion, explained that the people of the coastal belt find it difficult to travel to Bengaluru to fight a petition in the High Court. The problem only aggravated during monsoon. D’Souza added that there was a delay in clearing the cases of Udupi, Chikkamagaluru and Kodagu districts, which was causing further inconvenience to the people.
The MLC, who pointed out that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had also shown his preference for establishing a High Court Bench in the coastal region, requested for an approval to establish a Mobile High Court Bench first.
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Responding to this request, Chief Justice Bakhru assured to take action on the request as soon as possible.
The delegation included Mangalore Bar Association President Raghavendra HV, Dakshina Kannada Principal Government Pleader MP Noronha, General Secretary Sridhar H, Udupi Bar Association President Reynold Praveen Kumar, General Secretary Chandrashekhar Shetty, Vice-president Devadas V Shettigar and Brahmavar Bar Association President Kadoor Praveen Shetty.
