The two ladies Sally and Sissi arrived from Swabia two weeks ago, and a few days ago the bull Urs from the Hellabrunn Zoo in Munich joined them. The three young cattle, who are a bit younger than a year, miss their usual herd and call for them. Operations manager Ralf Volk apologizes to the residents of the Black Forest Zoo. The acclimatization phase takes about two weeks, then it will be quieter again. The home of the Dahomey dwarf cattle is in West Africa, their habitat are light forests, valley and river meadows as well as pastureland. At the beginning of the last century, the naturally small breed came to the Antwerp Zoo, where they got used to the European climate, reproduced and from where they moved to other European countries. In their homeland, the breed is threatened by interbreeding with more powerful breeds. In Europe, the “Association of European Dahomey Dwarfs” is committed to keeping the breed clean and breeding. The Black Forest Zoo has joined this association and also wants to contribute to the preservation of the rare livestock breed. The good-natured cattle are frugal. Grazing in summer and hay feeding in winter without concentrated feed are sufficient. The milk that the cows give is just enough to feed the calves. Now in winter, the three newcomers share their new home with two rheas and two alpacas.
Due to the corona, there is currently little construction activity in the Black Forest Zoo. A larger aviary will be set up for the Northern Bald ibises, which will be completed in the course of the next year with a landscape that corresponds to the natural habitat of the Northern Bald ibises. “It’ll be an eye-catcher,” says Volk happily. Furthermore, the fence of the Dahomey dwarf enclosure is being rebuilt and a training room for the zoo school is being expanded in-house. There is currently not enough money available for more construction activity. Because of the pandemic, the Black Forest Zoo is missing income from entrance fees and events. In the past few years, the Black Forest Zoo had 65,000 to 80,000 visitors a year. This year there were 50,000 visitors. With the exception of swimming pools, the Black Forest Zoo is the most popular tourist facility in the two valleys region. Volk hopes that the Black Forest Zoo can reopen at the beginning of March. On behalf of the Association of Friends of the Black Forest Zoo, Volk would like to thank the numerous people, institutions and companies who have supported the Black Forest Zoo this year. Until now, the Black Forest Zoo was not entitled to apply for corona aid. That is why Volk is grateful for any further support, be it a donation to the account mentioned below or in the form of a Christmas tree. From January, the zoo will be accepting completely decorated Christmas trees that are fed or used to maintain and expand the dead wood hedges. Deadwood hedges are important refuges for insects and birds.
If you want to support the Friends of the Black Forest Zoo, you can donate to the account DE68 6805 0101 0023 0087 73 at the Sparkasse Freiburg Nördlicher Breisgau (FRSPDE66XXX). Since the Freundeskreis Schwarzwaldzoo is a non-profit organization, the donation is tax deductible.
(Info: Schwarzwaldzoo Waldkirch)
More articles from press release (01)
Every author of a report (company, association, person …) also has HIS own “extra newspaper” at REGIOTRENDS! At the top, click on the red name behind “More posts by”. You will already see ALL of his retrievable messages in our brand new internet newspaper.
–
