Zoo administrator faces lethal threats post baboon slaying incident
The Nuremberg Zoo's controversial decision to euthanize 12 healthy baboons due to overcrowding has sparked a wave of protests and a formal investigation under Section 17 of the German Animal Welfare Act.
Last week, the zoo took the drastic measure of culling the baboons, a move that has been met with widespread criticism from animal rights groups and the public. The incident was reported by several media outlets, and the ensuing controversy has led to approximately 350 complaints being filed with the Nuremberg-Fürth Public Prosecutor's Office.
The complaints accuse the zoo of illegally euthanizing the Guinea baboons due to space constraints and question the legality of the cull under animal protection laws. Pro Wildlife and other groups have formally lodged criminal complaints, arguing that the culling was avoidable, illegal, and resulted from irresponsible breeding management by the zoo.
The zoo, however, defends its decision as a last resort aligned with European zoo association guidelines and cites limited re-housing and contraception options as the reasons for the cull. The bodies of six baboons were dismembered and fed to carnivores on display, adding further controversy to the situation.
The investigation is primarily focusing on whether the action was justified under Section 17 of the Animal Welfare Act, which governs animal welfare protections, possibly related to the killing of healthy animals without justified cause. The Middle Franconia Police Headquarters is reviewing approximately 170 communications for any criminal content, many of which were received via post, email, or social media.
Threats were not only directed at the zoo's management but also at zoo staff in general. The director of the Nuremberg Zoo, Dag Encke, received ten specific murder threats, while the deputy director, Jörg Beckmann, also received threats. The zoo's management is trying to protect its employees from these threats.
Animal rights activists have criticized the zoo and threatened legal action. As of August 2025, no decision or charges have been publicly announced. On Monday, activists set up a protest camp near the zoo, and they plan to demonstrate multiple times this week, demanding that no more primates be killed and that breeding be stopped.
The zoo has stated that it accepts any peaceful protest, and it maintains that the cull was a necessary last resort after years of consideration. The communications are being processed in Nuremberg, and the investigation is ongoing with the prosecutor's office reviewing the legality of the culling and possible breaches of animal protection law by the zoo's management.
In summary, the investigation under Section 17 of the Animal Welfare Act is active and focuses on whether the zoo's culling of healthy baboons was legally justified. The situation remains contentious with ongoing legal and ethical review.
The controversy over the Nuremberg Zoo's decision to euthanize healthy Guinea baboons has expanded into the realm of politics, with various groups lodging criminal complaints under animal protection laws, alleging the action to be illegal and avoidable. This incident has also garnered attention in the general-news media, with numerous reports detailing the ensuing controversy and the ongoing investigation.
