(Adnkronos) – The Nuremberg Zoo, involved in a scandal for killing 12 healthy baboons due to lack of space in the facility, has stated that other animals could meet the same fate. Dag Encke, director of the zoo, told some local newspapers that lemurs and gorillas could also be culled in the future, although “the killing of gorillas has not yet been seriously considered”.
Animal rights activists protested and condemned the decision and Encke, who received numerous death threats. Over 350 complaints have been filed with the Prosecutor’s Office. However, the director continued to defend the culling decision, in his opinion, “inevitable”, appealing to the overcrowded enclosure, the difficult birth control and the limited number of possible baboon buyers. The Nuremberg Zoo had ruled out the option of releasing the monkeys into the wild, stating that it was not realistic. “I can’t find any flaws in the logic,” said Encke, who said he was ready to respond to legal proceedings against the zoo, stating: “I believe I can scientifically prove that the killing was necessary.”
