Overview

• The Tiergarten Nürnberg troop grew to 43 Guinea baboons in facilities built for just 25, and offers to transfer animals and contraception measures proved unworkable.
• On July 29, zoo officials euthanized 12 healthy baboons, citing space constraints and escalating conflicts among the overcapacity group.
• The zoo closed to visitors and Nuremberg police detained activists who forced entry and glued themselves to the baboon enclosure.
• Director Dag Encke said neither expanding the enclosure nor releasing the baboons into the wild was feasible, leaving euthanasia as the only remaining option.
• Rights groups have announced plans to file criminal complaints and lawsuits, intensifying calls for stricter animal welfare oversight.