The historic bear enclosure at Chemnitz Zoo has been revitalised after a long time, and rock hyraxes and helmeted guinea fowl have moved into the outdoor area.
The enclosure from the 1970s is a visible example of the zoo's historical planning history. It was built in the early days of the zoo, which was founded on 1 June 1964.
At the beginning of the 1970s, the enclosure was to be the first spectacular large-scale enclosure of the young zoo. The plan was for a spacious outdoor enclosure for bears with six indoor cages. Although the indoor area was built promptly, the renovation and expansion of the then Thälmann Stadium - now the Sportforum - and the prevailing lack of resources at the time meant that work on the outdoor enclosure was cancelled. Workers were withdrawn and the half-finished facility threatened to end up as a ruined building. A few years later, to allow at least temporary use, grids were placed in front of the already completed rock elements so that the enclosure could be operated provisionally.
Today, the bear enclosure stands as a museum relic that takes visitors on a journey back in time to the early history of the zoo and awakens memories of childhood. "In this day and age, we would of course no longer keep bears in this enclosure," emphasises current zoo manager Silke Weiser. "But we wanted to breathe new life into the historic outdoor area - and inspire our visitors at the same time."
New animal inhabitants
After more than 14 years, the enclosure is now being brought back to life. The zoo has selected two fascinating species for the new occupants:
