Starvation in the Cologne Zoo: Food costs are skyrocketing!

Starvation in the Cologne Zoo: Food costs are skyrocketing!

The last few years have been for him Cologne Zoo a challenging journey through the ups and downs of animal husbandry and finances. Born from an idea in 1858 and opened on July 22, 1860, the zoo - covering 20 hectares - has evolved from a place for wealthy visitors to a modern conservation center.

Animal husbandry and financial pressure are currently in the spotlight. As the Cologne City Gazette reported that feed costs have risen astronomically: from 83,000 Reichsmarks before the First World War to an incredible 3,797,128,009,412,000 Reichsmarks per year. This massive devaluation of money has direct consequences, and donations are even being asked to prevent the zoo animals from starving to death.

War years and their consequences

Due to the First World War, the zoo's animal population shrank to only a quarter of its pre-war level. The lack of hay, grain and seeds led to severe malnutrition and starvation of many animals. The last chimpanzee and the last sea lion are tragic examples of this. Although there were bright spots with 208 animal births in the last year of the war, mostly guinea pigs and white mice, economic pressure remained high even after the war.

The economic crisis after the war not only had an impact on feed prices, but also brought with it increasing expenses for animal husbandry and personnel. This situation even led to other zoos, such as the one in Berlin, having to temporarily close. The zoo director Ludwig Wunderlich responded to the crisis by acquiring animals from the closed Breslau Zoo and gradually rebuilding the population in Cologne. By 1924 the animal population had stabilized. After 40 years of service, Wunderlich retired in 1928 and Friedrich Hülsecorne took over management of the zoo.

A zoo in transition

With the new management came fresh ideas: the focus was on the vision of making the zoo more popular and improving animal husbandry. Planned changes included merging flight cages and larger gates to allow more freedom of movement for animals. In addition, visitors should have the opportunity to enjoy even more varied experiences with a dedicated area for sports and pony riding.

This change is part of the zoo's long history. There are a number of historical buildings, including the elephant house, which opened in 1874, and the giraffe and antelope house, made in the Moorish architectural style, which opened its doors in 1863. Especially in the last few decades, the zoo has launched numerous modern projects, such as the aquarium from 1968 to 1971 or the elephant park, which was inaugurated in 2004.

Current challenges and successes

In recent years, however, the zoo has also faced challenges, such as a fire in the rainforest house in 2022 and closure due to avian influenza in February 2024. Nevertheless, the zoo has achieved considerable success, particularly in breeding elephants and other animal species.

Today, the Cologne Zoo, under the direction of Theo Pagel and Christopher Landsberg, attracts more than a million visitors every year. Commitment to conservation remains strong, with projects extending well beyond city limits, such as in Zambia, Peru and Vietnam.

Whether despite the current challenges or in the face of its impressive history: the Cologne Zoological Garden is a place of change that always strives to find the balance between the care of its animals and financial reality.