Ramona Demmler closes her eyes and systematically goes through the enclosures in the Hirschfelder Tierpark. She lists: “Five red deer, five fallow deer, eight woolly pigs, 15 mini-pigs, a Fleckenuhu, a small monkey.” But the manager is not finished yet. Because also a bison calf, three little little owls, a …
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Ramona Demmler closes her eyes and systematically goes through the enclosures in the Hirschfelder Tierpark. She lists: “Five red deer, five fallow deer, eight woolly pigs, 15 mini-pigs, a Fleckenuhu, a small monkey.” But the manager is not finished yet. Because there is also a bison calf, three little little owls, a young alpaca and a whole series of little goats and sheep to be admired at the moment.
And the list does not end there either. Because the donkey mares do not want to be inferior. Two are pregnant, the third has already given birth to her daughter – in one morning, attracting the public. “Actually, the animals tend to give birth at night, but she did it that way last year,” says Ramona Demmler. The little donkey is already a favorite of the guests. A young family, who are currently visiting their old homeland from Northern Germany, made friends with the young mare on Wednesday. Because she always comes to the fence – always accompanied by mom – to eye the strange two-legged friends.
Ramona Demmler is particularly pleased that the scarlet macaws have offspring. Three chicks have hatched, but no one has seen them yet. Not because they are still naked and not very handsome, but because the brood still needs to rest. It is different with the eagle owl. It can already be seen in his aviary. He is one of those animals that grow up quickly, even if he still has to be fed by his parents. Incidentally, this is the reason why people in the forest should not usually pick up birds that have fallen out of their nests – they are usually looked after by the adults despite their location. The three wild young storks that grow up in the wool pigs enclosure are also superbly cared for. Ramona Demmler estimates that they will be ready for a trip in the next two to three weeks.
However, not all birds in the zoo were lucky with their offspring. The snow owl had three eggs in the nest, but none of them hatched, says the manager. Because the clutch was placed close to the visitor entrance, the aviary was closed for a few weeks. It is now accessible again, but only a snow owl can be seen. The other is still in quarantine. “She is still aggressive,” explains Ramona Demmler.
New, but not freshly hatched, are the three emus that complete the newly created Australian enclosure. Two hens from Weißwasser and a rooster from the zoo in Chemnitz are just settling in with the three Bennett kangaroos. “I’ve also had inquiries about how we want to acclimate the animals from Australia,” says the boss – but can reassure you: Because the ratites are all born in Saxony and are used to the local weather conditions. The facility, which was created by the zoo and its support association from the former bison enclosure, was designed in such a way that visitors can get a little further inside. At the moment there is only one rope separating them from the animals. “We now have to wait and see how the rooster develops when it becomes sexually mature,” says Ramona Demmler. At the moment he is practically through puberty, it should be ready next year. The emu may then become more aggressive and the enclosure would have to be secured differently again. Everyone is getting along well at the moment.
As for all other zoo residents, animal lovers can also sponsor the new ones. There is even something special waiting for them, says Ramona Demmler: “The first godparents also give their names to the animals.” That means, those who register for a sponsorship leave their first name with a kangaroo or an emu – mind you, their personal first name and not an imaginary one.
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