Zoo by the sea
| Zoo by the sea | |
|---|---|
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| Full name | Bremerhaven Zoo by the Sea |
| motto | Encounters of a special kind |
| place | Hermann-Heinrich-Meier-Strasse (H.-H.-Meier-Strasse) 7 27568 Bremerhaven |
| surface | 11,800 m² of usable space |
| opening | 1913: Opening of the first North Sea aquarium 1928: Opening of the animal grottoes 2004: Reopening after complete renovation |
| Animal species | 47 species |
| Individuals | approx. 280 animals |
| Species focus | Aquatic / Nordic species |
| Visitor numbers | approx. 285,000 |
| organization | |
| management | Heike Kück (Director and Managing Director) |
| Sponsorship | Zoo am Meer Bremerhaven GmbH |
| Funding organizations | Friends of Zoo am Meer Bremerhaven eV |
| Member of | WAZA , EAZA , VDZ , Species360 , Sphenisco eV, WCF, Yaqu Pacha |
 New entrance area |
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| Website | |
The Zoo am Meer in Bremerhaven is a themed zoo specializing in aquatic and Nordic animal species. It is located directly on the dike of the Unterweser at Willy-Brandt-Platz near the Great Lighthouse . It is part of the Havenwelten in the New Harbor . It is the smallest scientifically managed zoo in Europe.
history
What began with a North Sea aquarium in 1912/13 - it had 30 display containers and was set up in the basement of the beach hall on the Weser dike - was continued on June 24, 1928 with the opening of the " Animal Grotto ". North of the beach hall in the outer dike area of the zoo was with cages , aviaries , hot houses, pools and seawater - aquarium have been created.
During the February flood in 1962 , the zoo was partially flooded and many animals such as raccoons, porcupines, coatis and smaller monkeys drowned or were killed by collapsing walls.
After a renovation in 1976, a temporary shutdown followed in 2000 to redesign the entire plant. With the new name “Zoo by the Sea”, a facility was opened on March 27, 2004 that shows animals in a natural environment. The focus is still on marine animals , but with only a few fish and crustaceans .
The directors of the zoo were:
- 1913–1931 Heinrich Lübben
- 1932–1934 Otto Stocker
- 1934–1953 Hermann Junker
- 1953–1972 Kurt Ehlers
- 1972–1980 Götz Ruempler
- 1980–2000 Rüdiger Wandrey
- since 2001 Heike Kück
Zoo today
The entire zoo is designed as a walkable rock landscape. More spacious enclosures without bars and water basins with large panes with multiple visual accesses allow the animals to be observed on land and in the water. A video system enables additional observation of the monkey system. Integrated into the rocky landscape is a walk-in aquarium, which can also be rented for celebrations.
The stock includes around 280 animals in 47 species specializing in aquatic and Nordic species, including polar bears , gannets , seals and the endangered Humboldt penguins , which the zoo tries to breed. In addition to the marine animals, other animal species such as chimpanzees , pumas and keas are part of the species spectrum. In the North Sea Aquarium, octopuses, seahorses and all kinds of fish are exhibited in several tanks.
The main target audience of the zoo by the sea are families with young children. It therefore has a large playground with a pirate ship for climbing and petting animals. There is also a restaurant and toilet facilities.
A viewing platform allows an overview of the mouth of the Weser and observation of the passing ships. The visitor can look at the habitat of marine animals at the same time. The water basins are partially designed in such a way that a flowing visual transition is created between the enclosures and the sea.
Trivia
After 41 years without offspring, the female polar bear Valeska gave birth to two cubs on December 16, 2013, but one of them was found dead. Out of concern for the remaining boy, the Bremerhaven population and their guests were asked by both the zoo management and the politicians not to set off any New Year's Eve fireworks in the vicinity at the turn of the year 2013/14 . For this reason, the adjoining Willy-Brandt-Platz was temporarily closed. The polar bear cub has been called Lale since March 19, 2014 .
The zoo is one of three locations for the ARD series " Seehund, Puma & Co. "
The Zoo by the Sea gained national fame in early 2005 when the German and later the global press reported on the homosexual Humboldt penguins . There was an excess of males, so that male pairs were formed, the tw. tried to hatch stones. Even when females were brought in from other zoos in 2005 and 2006, the male couples never gave up their relationship. When an egg was rejected by a heterosexual couple in 2009, it was placed in the nest of a gay couple, which they also adopted, hatched and raised.
literature
- Herbert Black Forest : The Great Bremen Lexicon . 2nd, updated, revised and expanded edition. Edition Temmen, Bremen 2003, ISBN 3-86108-693-X .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Encounters of a special kind ... p. 22
- ↑ Polar bear baby is fine. (No longer available online.) In: RadioBremenNachrichten. January 1, 2014, archived from the original on February 27, 2015 ; accessed on February 27, 2015 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ My two dads: Gay penguins adopt an egg and hatch a chick. In: Mail online (England). June 4, 2009, accessed February 27, 2015 .
- ↑ Gay penguins hatch, rear a chick at Bremerhaven Zoo. In: perth now (Australia). June 4, 2009, archived from the original on February 27, 2015 ; accessed on February 27, 2015 .
- ↑ Gay penguins - true love only among men. (No longer available online.) In: Stern online. February 8, 2006, archived from the original on February 27, 2015 ; accessed on February 27, 2015 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Happy parents: gay penguins adopt chicks. In: Spiegel online. June 4, 2009, accessed February 27, 2015 .
Coordinates: 53 ° 32 ′ 41 ″ N , 8 ° 34 ′ 13 ″ E