Feeding by visitors can make animals ill
Tierpark Chemnitz: Feeding zoo and wild animals by others is prohibited
The team at Chemnitz Zoo and Oberrabenstein Wildlife Park would like to take this opportunity to raise awareness of the issue of feeding animals and appeal to visitors.
Unfortunately, many visitors to both facilities repeatedly feed the zoo and wild animals on site. Perhaps because they want to do something good for the animals (and the zoo). Perhaps also because they want to energise the animals. Or because they believe they have a right to do so by paying the entrance fee. However, visitors are generally not allowed to feed the animals.
The general feeding ban (with the exception of pellets from automatic feeders for the respective animals) is stated in the visitor regulations of the respective facility. By purchasing an admission ticket and entering the facility, every visitor recognises this. Various notices, including pictograms, can also be found on the premises. Failure to comply with the visitor regulations may result in removal from the premises or even a ban from the premises.
If an animal is harmed while being fed by someone else, the person responsible may be held liable. In the event of attempted or negligent cruelty to animals or other animal abuse, this will be penalised in accordance with the Animal Protection Act. Every visitor should therefore be aware of the possible consequences.
Feeding the animals should always be left to the animal keepers. They undergo a demanding three-year training programme. They know what their charges are allowed to eat, how much of it is healthy and whether the vet has prescribed a diet.
Domestic donkeys particularly badly affected
The domestic donkeys at the zoo are particularly badly affected by this kind of external feeding, as they can be seen by anyone passing by. Their enclosure is located outside the zoo on the left-hand side coming from Nevoigtstraße towards the entrance to the zoo. The domestic donkeys have been under increased veterinary observation for some time now, as they have noticeable fat deposits on their bodies.
Such fat deposits are symptoms of a metabolic disease - equine metabolic syndrome (EMS). It is caused by feeding too much or the wrong food over a long period of time. EMS can lead to tissue damage, which particularly affects the hooves of equines. Circulatory disorders and inflammation are the consequences, which are extremely painful for the animals. In the worst cases, the animals can hardly stand on their feet and may even lose their hooves.
The only treatment option is a diet, unfortunately the animals cannot be helped with medication. However, it is impossible to put the animals on a controlled diet if they continue to be fed from outside. The zoo is reliant on the help and understanding of visitors. This is the only way to keep the animals healthy and pain-free.
Spotted hyenas also affected
The spotted hyenas are also currently being fed by others - albeit rather indirectly. Apparently, some citizens are disposing of their (garden) waste in the Unritzbach stream, which in turn flows through the hyenas' outdoor enclosure. This allows the animals to obtain food that is not on their menu. Although hyenas have an incredibly strong digestive system, they are currently experiencing an increase in diarrhoea.
Animal sponsorships are a better alternative
Even if most visitors who feed the animals without permission probably mean well or don't know exactly what damage they can cause, it is still misbehaviour. If you really want to do something good for the animals in the zoo or wildlife park, you can do so, for example, through animal sponsorships, which the animal park sponsorship organisation "Tierparkfreunde Chemnitz e. V." awards for animals in both facilities.
Good to know
As a general rule, you should not feed other people's animals without the knowledge and permission of the owner or keeper, whether at the zoo, in the wildlife park, in the farmer's paddock, on the pond or over the neighbour's garden fence. Every individual has a balanced diet in terms of quantity and quality of food, and any deviation can be harmful. Digestive disorders, obesity, behavioural deviations, failure of therapeutic feeding etc. as well as irritation on the part of the owner (Why isn't my pet eating today?) are the result. In the worst case, the animals become ill or even die due to the wrong or too plentiful food.
Especially now in autumn, acorns and chestnuts are tempting to feed. But the same applies here: collect them for your own use, e.g. for handicrafts, but do not feed them to the animals, even if the fruit is on the path in front of the enclosure. Acorns and chestnuts are not the right food for the exotic inhabitants of the zoo. With the large number of oak trees in the zoo, it is of course impossible to prevent acorns from falling into the enclosures. But every additional acorn from outside is one too many.
If you have already collected a lot of acorns and chestnuts, you can use the collection container in the car park at Rabenstein Castle. This is regularly collected by the employees of the wildlife park, who then feed the fruit properly and in the right quantities to the animals in the wildlife park, which tolerate this food well, throughout the winter.
Zoo and wildlife park - opening hours in October:
9 am to 5 pm, last admission 4 pm