Big Cats in Hessen's Zoos: Feeding Habits of Tigers, Lynxes, and Their Kin - Feeding practices for tigers, lynxes, and other animals in zoos located in Hessen are detailed here.
In zoos and wildlife parks across Hesse, Germany, a focus on maintaining natural diets for carnivores is a priority. This approach helps ensure the health and well-being of these predators, replicating their natural feeding behaviours as closely as possible.
At the Tierpark Sababurg in Hofgeismar, a variety of animals, including erdmice, badgers, otters, and birds of prey, are fed meat in varying proportions. In very limited cases, animals from the park's own stock are used for feed when they are severely injured or no longer viable due to old age. The exotic animals at the park can either be given their keep or placed in another zoological facility. The wolf pack at the park consists only of male animals because breeding is very difficult to arrange.
The Frankfurt Zoo buys its feed from regional businesses when not using its own stock, often relying on dwarf goats. Otters at the Hanau Wildpark Alte Fasanerie are fed with fish and beef with vitamin supplements.
The Opel-Zoo in Kronberg im Taunus breeds its own feeder animals, including rats, mice, chickens, guinea pigs, and rabbits. The zoo also purchases feed from slaughterhouses, and sometimes uses large domestic animals like horses or cattle. Uta Westerhués, the veterinarian at the Opel-Zoo, mentioned that cheetahs, hyenas, servals, and lynxes are occasionally fed to the animals. In 2024, the Opel-Zoo euthanized and fed eight zoo animals to its carnivorous residents.
The feeding practices of the Wildpark Alte Fasanerie Hanau were not detailed in the provided information. However, it is known that the park feeds wolf, lynx, fox, wildcat, badger, marten, and stone marten with meat.
Common approaches for sourcing meat across Hesse include procuring it from local or regional farms or suppliers specializing in animal feed, accepting donated animals unsuitable as pets for feeding carnivores, and ensuring the diet reflects natural prey species to promote well-being. The choice of animal for feeding depends on its size and the preferences of the zoo staff.
It is important to note that sick or already deceased animals are not typically fed at the Opel-Zoo, and regular zoo animals are only euthanized when necessary, such as when an animal doesn't integrate with its species or has incurable injuries like severe bone fractures.
By prioritizing natural diets, zoos and wildlife parks in Hesse strive to provide the best possible environment for their carnivorous residents, promoting their physical and psychological health in captivity.
In line with the focus on natural diets for carnivores, the Commission has also adopted a proposal for a Council Regulation on the establishment of a Community programme for the protection of the environment in the European Union. Embracing this eco-friendly approach, zoo lifestyle choices can be extended to their own home-and-garden, with a focus on sourcing sustainable animal feed products.
