News from the zoo: Holiday activities in the zoo and wildlife park/ Review of 2014
The zoo and wildlife park are once again offering guided tours and feeding sessions during the winter holidays.
From 7 to 22 February, there will be a short guided tour of a particular animal group or species at 11 a.m. every day at the zoo. To start with, zoo staff will be giving a tour of the marmosets next Saturday and the vivarium on Sunday. Further dates for guided tours can be found on the zoo's website. Show feedings take place in the wildlife enclosure on weekdays at 11 am: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays with the lynxes and wolves, Tuesdays and Thursdays with the mouflons and wild boars.
Review 2014
Last year, around 142,000 visitors came to the zoo and 37,000 to the wildlife enclosure.
As at the reporting date (31 December 2014), there were a total of 1003 animals (not counting foraging mice and insects) of 200 species living in the zoo and wildlife park: 55 mammal, 59 bird, 11 reptile, 62 amphibian and five fish species as well as eight invertebrate species (spiders, insects, crabs, millipedes).
Last year, several new species were added to the population, especially birds and amphibians, e.g. the Egyptian goose, black-headed duck, green treehopper and striped banana frog. Other new additions to the animal population included a fossa, an arctic fox, a liszt monkey, a golden lion monkey, a capybara, a wolf, a pine marten and an Edwards' pheasant.
Animals born in wildlife parks and zoos travelled to other zoological institutions, e.g. two West Caucasian ibexes to Decin Zoo, a Somali wild ass to a Spanish zoo, two kulans to a Polish safari park, a Persian leopard to a Swedish zoo, a liszt monkey to a French zoo and two coatis to Hirschfeld Zoo. In total, around 250 cubs were born and 170 animals died.
Last year, the zoo celebrated its 50th anniversary with many events, such as the anniversary zoo festival. To mark the occasion, the Friends of Chemnitz Zoo Association donated new play equipment and a new zoo map at the entrance. The zoo published an anniversary publication on the history of zoo animal husbandry in the city, which goes back more than 50 years. A small exhibition in the Vita Centre provided information about the zoo. The traditional children's festival, DRK blood donation day and the "Dreamnight at the zoo", an evening for disabled and chronically ill children, also took place.
The renovation work on the Katzenring was continued and the planning and tendering process for the Hirschanlagen was finalised.
The Friends of the Zoo provided around 270,000 euros for the construction of the new deer enclosures.
Some preparatory work for the construction work has already been completed. The residents have been moved to other enclosures, the hayloft has been emptied and the outdoor facilities are currently being cleared. Depending on the weather, construction will start at the end of March.
A total of 31 full-time employees work in the zoo and wildlife enclosure. A trainee started her apprenticeship in September and both places in the voluntary ecological year have been filled.
More information at www.tierpark-chemnitz.de
Opening hours of the zoo in February:
09:00-16:00, last admission 15:00
Opening hours of the wildlife park:
08:00 to 16:00