VI
EN
Neumünster Zoo, home to more than 700 animals of over 100 species, has outlined an emergency plan outlining which animals will be put on a "blacklist" to cut costs, zoo director Verena Muffari said.
Although it's unclear which animal will be killed first, the polar bear named Vitus – over 3 meters tall – will be the last to meet its end.
"This is truly a worst-case scenario. If I run out of money to buy food, or if food suppliers are restricted due to the pandemic, I will be forced to kill some animals to feed the others," Muffari said. She added that she would rather euthanize some animals than let them starve to death.
Hundreds of zoos in Germany have been forced to close due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and are facing financial hardship.
Since the nationwide lockdown was imposed on March 15, Neumünster Zoo has not generated any revenue from visitors and is currently operating through donations. While the German government has begun rolling out an economic rescue package worth up to 750 billion euros, including measures to boost lending to businesses and support workers who have lost their jobs for an extended period, it is unclear whether zoos will be eligible for subsidies.
"We are an association and have not received any city funds, and all the grants we applied for have yet to arrive," said Ms. Muffari. The Association of Zoos (VdZ), an association of zoos based in Berlin with members in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Spain, has requested €100 million in emergency support from Chancellor Angela Merkel. The VdZ represents 56 zoos in Germany, including the Neumünster Zoo.
The association stated in a letter to the German government that many animals in its member zoos are endangered species and part of an international conservation breeding program. The association also noted that, unlike other facilities, zoos cannot close or restrict operations to cut costs because the animals still need to be fed and cared for.
Some zoos have introduced virtual reality tours for visitors.
Neumünster wasn't the only zoo to have come up with such shocking plans. In 2015, a zoo in Odense, Denmark, killed a nine-month-old lioness after failing to find a suitable home for her. The zoo even publicly dismembered the animal in front of onlookers – including children. Another zoo in Copenhagen, also in Denmark, caused outrage by killing a two-year-old giraffe named Marius – to reduce the risk of inbreeding – then dismembering it and feeding the carcass to the lions.
