Alternative bear park in Worbis
| Alternative bear park in Worbis | ||
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| place | Duderstädter Allee 49 37339 Leinefelde-Worbis |
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| surface | 6.75 hectares | |
| opening | 1996 | |
| Animal species | 17 species | |
| Individuals | 140 animals | |
| Species focus | Bears | |
| organization | ||
 Brown bear in the bear park |
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| Homepage | ||
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Coordinates: 51 ° 25 ′ 38 ″ N , 10 ° 20 ′ 49 ″ E
The Alternative Bear Park Worbis is an open-air facility on the outskirts of Leinefelde-Worbis in Eichsfeld , Thuringia , where bears , wolves and various other animal species live. The park was created from 1996 on the initiative of the “Aktion Bärenhilfswerk” on the site of the former communal zoo. The alternative bear park in Worbis sees itself as an animal, nature and species protection project. The primary goals are the natural keeping of animals of wild species and support for the continued existence of rare domestic animal breeds.
history
The zoo's roots lie in an animal station that was opened in 1955 in Kallmerode . The purpose of the station was to take in injured and found orphaned wild animals. Over time, a small zoo was created through the acquisition of more animals. Due to the unfavorable location of the park, the animal population was transferred to the nearby then still independent district town of Worbis in 1959 . From 1964 to 1990 the zoo took on other species, including wolves and bears . The bears were also used for breeding, as the baby bears were a magnet for visitors. Due to the cramped conditions, the animals were kept in small kennels and bears were also slaughtered for human consumption on various occasions.
With the opening of the border in 1989, visitor interest decreased. Since 1990 the income from entrance fees and the financial support from the city of Worbis have decreased. For these reasons, the city decided in 1995 to put the zoo out to the public in order to find a new owner. Since the animal population at that time was supposed to be decimated for economic reasons, the German animal welfare organization got involved and sent Rüdiger Schmiedel, the then coordinator for animal welfare and today's managing director of the "Foundation for Bears", to Worbis. At this point in time, the German animal welfare organization had been looking for a suitable area for a long time to put the idea of a bear park for brown bears in need into practice. The existing zoo seemed suitable for this, so discussions with the city were started. In 1996, the city council of Worbis decided to hand over the zoo to a new sponsor to build an alternative bear park. In order to be able to become the sponsor of the future project, the association "Aktion Bärenhilfswerk e. V. “founded.
The first bear enclosure was officially opened on May 31, 1997 and the first three bears moved in.
In 2004, the "Foundation for Bears" was established for the continued operation of the bear park. The second project was opened in 2009 in the Black Forest in Bad Rippoldsau-Schapbach .
The attachment
The core of the park is the four- hectare open-air area, where the bears and a pack of wolves reside. The area consists of beech forest and contains two ponds and a small meadow. A small part of the enclosure is only accessible to the wolves so that they can be fed by the bears without being disturbed. A wire tunnel for visitors goes through the middle of the site. The site is to be expanded by a further 40 hectares by 2020. The bears and wolves living in the open-air area come from previously often cruel animal husbandry. There are bears that used to live in kennels that were too small or that were not kept appropriately in circuses .
Raccoons live in a smaller enclosure of about 1000 m² . In addition to small animals, the Thuringian forest goats and linen sheep , which are threatened with extinction, are kept on a small replica farm . In a 250 m² large aviary, visitors can stroll through swarms of rose- heads , cockatiels and budgies .
On a bear educational trail, the visitor can find out about the way of life, but also about the abuse of bears worldwide. A service and information center in the form of a panorama pavilion was completed in 2008.
Until 2012, the facility was located at the Worbis entrance and exit of the B 247 ("Duderstädter Allee") towards Duderstadt . Since the main road was moved to the new bypass, the park has been at the end of a cul-de-sac, the old road to Wintzingerode is now a forest and cycle path .
Movie and TV
- Teddy's big brothers , documentary by Herbert Ostwald
- The Black Forest Bears , documentary from SWR
- Freedom for circus bears , documentary by Hennig Winter SWR
- Bruno, the bear without a passport , documentary by Herbert Ostwald, commentary by Hannes Jaenicke
See also
Web links
- Foundation for Bears - Alternative Bear Park Worbis ; also to the second German alternative wolf and bear park in Bad Rippoldsau-Schapbach in the Black Forest
- Tour through the alternative bear park
- Information about the bear park