It was just announced that Andreas Knieriem will be the new zoo director in Hellabrunn. He will be replacing Hennig Wiesner who will retire next year November. Currently Andreas Knieriem is vetinarian and vice-zoo manager in Erlebniszoo Hannover.
Then let us hope, he will not make another Hannover zoo out of Hellabrunn, but I think, he can not manage this zoo more worse than the present director. He can be proud to be the zoodirector of the zoo with the most ugly and unfunctional animal buildings in germany.
Personally I don't know Hellabrunn (just know where to find some news). You never know what will change. For instance in Rotterdam the current director Ton Dorresteijn, turned around the zoo more or less 90 degrees by himself (they were already moving in the right direction). Give this man some time to proove himself.
@Zebraduiker: Hey, what's so bad about a Rhino-UFO, a tiny lion exhibit in a "Jungle" tent and an Orang-Utan enclosure that looks like part of a modern art gallery?
@Sun Wukong. I know, you mean that ironical, but you will find teh answer in the gallery, look under Munich and teher is a beautyful picture of the inside room of the Rhino-Ufo.There you will find my answer to your question...And comments to other beautyful Hellabrunn-Exhibits, hope, the new boss will bring new ideas from Hannover to Munich, so I hope for adventure restrooms in Hellabrunn, a boat ride through the park on the Auer Mühlbach,and Polar Bears within a village,called the Hudson bay Adventure, so instead the all present Mouse kitchen in every zoo, now the brand new polar bear kitchen,ha,Ha,Ha. With an artificial woman at the cooking place.
In an interview with a local newspaper, Dr. Knieriem revealed some of his plans in regard to the zoo: -more focus/return to the GeoZoo concept -stronger involvement in international conservation programs -no import of the Hannover zoo concept Additionally, the article revealed that the zoo directorate finally agreed on rebuilding and enlargening the old polar bear exhibit. However, due to that, the muskox husbandry will be given up, as their exhibit will become part of the new bear exhibit. The muskoxen are going to be given to another zoo.
Sounds like"A new Hope".... Musk oxen are great animals, but its not sad, Munich will not keep them anymore, becuas ethe middle european climate is to hot for them. And by the way, how succesful is the keeping of Musk oxen in germany ? The population is quite small and not growing. The mortality of the calfs is very high and the adults are senistiviley for diffrent deseases. So its better to keep them only in north european zoos. I could imagine, a few more not popular animals have to go away from Hellabrunn....
Yep, many enclosures seem small and badly designed (lion cage with staff entrance from another lion paddock...) But I like the idea that big mammals have inside enclosures with natural substrate and/or live vegetation. I don't remember other indoor exhibit for chimps which has both grass and bushes... And in most zoos lions cannot be seen indoors...
