Chemnitz Zoo: Offspring of Erzgebirge goats
Endangered regional domestic animal breed can only be seen in Chemnitz
Chemnitz Zoo is the only zoo in Germany to have kept Erzgebirge goats in its petting zoo for several years. There have now been six offspring here (one male and five females), which are jumping lively through the enclosure and are easy to see.
Not only wild animal species, but also domestic animal breeds are threatened with extinction. While habitat loss, hunting and climate change are primarily responsible for wild animals, the old breeds are no longer kept because they are no longer relevant in modern agriculture.
Some zoos, including Chemnitz Zoo, have taken up the cause of preserving old breeds from their own region. The umbrella organisation for zoos, the VdZ, has also launched a conservation project specifically for some of these endangered domestic animal breeds, in which Chemnitz Zoo is involved.
The Erzgebirge goat used to be a breed in its own right, bred specifically for the harsh climate of the German low mountain ranges. Due to the low number of animals, the Erzgebirge goat has lost its breed standard and is now listed as a colour variety of the "Bunte Deutsche Edelziege". This colour is now also only rarely kept.
www.tierpark-chemnitz.de
Opening hours
Animal park: 9 am to 7 pm, last admission 6 pm
Game enclosure: 8 am to 6 pm, last admission 5 pm