City council/animal park: Deer get new enclosure
At its meeting today, the city council decided to build a replacement deer barn and outdoor enclosure for Chemnitz Zoo. The stable building for the deer is one of the oldest buildings in the zoo and is in urgent need of renovation and no longer meets today's requirements. The new, species-appropriate enclosure will also increase the attractiveness for visitors.
The design of the outdoor enclosures will be adapted for the deer in a species-appropriate manner; the plans were based on the currently valid expert opinion on minimum requirements for the keeping of mammals from the Federal Ministry of Food, Consumer Protection and Agriculture. The existing enclosure area for the fallow deer will be extended to the south on the existing zoo grounds. The enclosure fence must be replaced due to the considerable damage to the existing fence. The new building will also reduce the facility's operating costs with insulation and improved technologies.
The following measures are planned to increase the attraction for visitors: Visitors will have a better view of the enclosure from special "discovery points", which will allow them to observe the animals directly. Information boards will provide information on nature conservation and species protection for the deer species on display. For the so-called ungulate mountain, it is planned to erect a high stand for viewing all the ungulate enclosures at a later date.
The new stable building and the outdoor facilities will be designed to accommodate the existing deer species for the time being. However, should zoological, zoo-biological or other reasons make it necessary, the facility could also be prepared and used for other ungulate species with minor adaptations. The deer species housed in the enclosure are critically endangered and only found in a few zoos: Prince Alfred's deer and Mesopotamian fallow deer.
In 2012, the city council campaigned for the necessary funds to be made available for the planning of the stables (until the planning application was prepared). The remaining funds for the deer barn will be provided by the zoo's support organisation, Tierparkfreunde Chemnitz e. V. Of the total costs of the project totalling 320,244 euros, 269,447 euros will be financed by the Friends' Association, 37,007 euros by the City of Chemnitz and 13,790 euros by the zoo itself.
The planning and tendering of the construction work will take place this year and the work will then be carried out after the winter from March 2015. The deer are due to take over their new home for the first time at the end of October.