Backlash in Germany as Nürnberg Zoo kills 12 healthy baboons citing lack of space
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Germany’s Merz says Russia-Ukraine talks ‘fell short’ of expectations
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned Russia for continuing attacks on Ukraine. Merz vowed to continue to increase the pressure on Moscow with added sanctions. His remarks came a day after the first direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv in years failed to yield a ceasefire. US President Donald Trump said he plans to speak by phone on Monday with Putin, followed by leaders of various NATO countries, about ending the war in Ukraine. In Istanbul, Kyiv and Moscow agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each, according to the heads of both delegations. In what would be their biggest such swap, it would be the biggest prisoner swap in the history of the conflict. The two leaders also said Europe is a long way from talking about deploying troops in Ukraine, saying efforts are focused on securing an unconditional ceasefire.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Saturday condemned Russia for continuing their attacks on Ukraine “with undiminished ferocity,” adding that Russia-Ukraine truce talks had also “fallen short” of expectations.
Speaking alongside Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome, Merz vowed to continue to increase the pressure on Moscow with added sanctions.
Merz and Meloni met for bilateral talks ahead of Sunday’s inauguration of Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican.
Merz’s remarks came a day after the first direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv in years failed to yield a ceasefire.
Russian and Ukrainian delegations attend talks at the Dolmabache palace, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, May 16, 2025. Ramil Sitdikov, Sputnik Pool Photo via AP
Russian President Vladimir Putin had spurned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s offer to meet face-to-face in Turkey after he himself proposed direct negotiations — although not at the presidential level — as an alternative to a 30-day ceasefire urged by Ukraine and its Western allies, including the US.
“Yesterday’s talks in Istanbul fell short of our expectations, despite a maximally constructive attitude on the part of the Ukrainian negotiators,” Merz said Saturday.
“At least the delegations were able to agree on an exchange of prisoners, but Russia has so far refused to accept the demand for a comprehensive and unconditional ceasefire.”
In Istanbul, Kyiv and Moscow agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each, according to the heads of both delegations, in what would be their biggest such swap.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said he plans to speak by phone on Monday with Putin, followed by Zelenskyy and leaders of various NATO countries, about ending the war in Ukraine.
The two leaders also said Europe is a long way from talking about deploying troops in Ukraine, saying efforts are currently focused on securing an unconditional ceasefire.
“There is no reason to talk about (troops) at the moment, we are far from that. We want the weapons to stop, the killing to end — these are the questions we are dedicated to now, and no others,” Merz said.
Gaza situation ‘increasingly dramatic’
Meloni said her discussions with Merz also included the Gaza crisis, as Israel launched a major military offensive to pressure Hamas to release the remaining hostages.
“We cannot remain indifferent to what is happening in Gaza where the situation is increasingly difficult, increasingly dramatic,” said Meloni.
Meloni has been among the strongest supporters of Israel amid the offensive in Gaza, but has recently come under increasing pressure at home to condemn their escalating military campaign.
Earlier this week, Meloni urged Israel to respect international law in its military operation in Gaza, calling the humanitarian situation there “unjustifiable”.
Germany’s Foreign Ministry also expressed concern about Israel’ ground offensive on Saturday, in another significant tone shift from one of Israel’s most loyal allies.
More than 150 people had been killed in Israeli strikes in the last 24 hours, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. It said more than 3,000 have been killed since Israel broke a January ceasefire on 18 March.
German zoo faces backlash after killing 12 healthy baboons over space issues
The Tiergarten Nrnberg zoo, located in the city of Nuremberg, said the decision was made after years of unsuccessful efforts to relocate the baboons or control the population through other means. The zoo had warned in February 2024 that it may have to cull some of its 43 baboons due to space constraints. The enclosure, opened in 2009, was designed to house only 25 animals and their offspring. As the troop grew, so did conflict among the baboon, prompting what zoo officials described as a difficult but necessary decision.
The Tiergarten Nrnberg zoo, located in the city of Nuremberg, said the decision was made after years of unsuccessful efforts to relocate the baboons or control the population through other means. The killings, carried out on Tuesday, came just hours after activists attempted to storm the zoo grounds to stop the action.
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“This killing was avoidable and, from our point of view, is unlawful,” said Laura Zodrow of Pro Wildlife, one of the groups that has filed a criminal complaint against the zoo’s management.
The zoo had warned in February 2024 that it may have to cull some of its 43 baboons due to space constraints. The enclosure, opened in 2009, was designed to house only 25 animals and their offspring. As the troop grew, so did conflict among the baboons, prompting what zoo officials described as a difficult but necessary decision.
On Tuesday, the zoo announced a surprise closure for “operational reasons,” and shortly afterward confirmed the culling of the 12 baboons. Police later said seven activists had broken into the zoo, with one woman gluing her hands to the pavement near the entrance.
“The killings followed yearslong consideration,” said zoo director Dag Encke at a press conference. “We had no viable alternative, and continuing overcrowding would have violated animal protection laws.”
The zoo said the baboons selected for euthanasia were not pregnant females and were not part of ongoing scientific studies. They were shot, with samples taken for research. The carcasses were to be fed to predators within the zoo.
Deputy director Jrg Beckmann defended the method, stating the decision was aimed at maintaining a healthy and stable troop. The zoo claims to have tried multiple solutions — including rehoming 16 baboons to zoos in Paris, China, and Spain since 2011 — but said all potential partners had since reached capacity.
An attempt at contraceptive control was also abandoned years ago after it failed to yield results. A similar controversy erupted in 2014, when Copenhagen Zoo killed a healthy 2-year-old giraffe, butchered its carcass in front of a crowd that included children and then fed it to lions.
– Ends
Inputs from Associated Press
Published By: Rivanshi Rakhrai Published On: Jul 30, 2025
Backlash in Germany as Nürnberg Zoo kills 12 healthy baboons citing lack of space
The Tiergarten Nürnberg zoo first announced plans to kill baboons it didn’t have enough space in February 2024. It has said that it examined offers to take in some of the animals but was unable to make any of them work. The zoo’s population of Guinea baboons had grown to 43 and was too big for a house opened in 2009 for 25 animals plus their young. The deputy director, Jörg Beckmann, said the zoo had chosen animals that weren’t pregnant females or part of studies and that they were shot. Animal rights groups said they filed a criminal complaint against the zoo’s management, arguing that the killings themselves violated animal protection laws.
The Tiergarten Nürnberg zoo first announced plans to kill baboons it didn’t have enough space in February 2024.
It has said that it examined offers to take in some of the animals but was unable to make any of them work.
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The plans drew criticism from animal protection groups. They also drew protests at the zoo, which said on Monday that it would have to start preparing to kill baboons.
On Tuesday morning, it announced that it was closing for the day for unspecified “operational reasons.”
Demonstrators stand with protest signs in front of the Nürnberg Zoo, 29 July, 2025 – AP Photo
On Tuesday afternoon, police said seven activists climbed over a wall into the zoo and one woman glued her hands to the ground. The group was detained a few metres inside the entrance.
Shortly afterward, the zoo said it had killed 12 baboons. The deputy director, Jörg Beckmann, said the zoo had chosen animals that weren’t pregnant females or part of studies and that they were shot.
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Samples were taken for research purposes and the bodies were then to be fed to the zoo’s predators.
Zoo director Dag Encke told a news conference that the killings followed “yearslong consideration.”
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He argued that they had become necessary to maintain a healthy population because having a group that had outgrown its accommodation and couldn’t be reduced by other means was pushing the zoo into conflict with animal protection laws.
Animal rights groups said they filed a criminal complaint against the zoo’s management, arguing that the killings themselves violated animal protection laws and that the zoo had failed in its breeding management.
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Laura Zodrow, a spokesperson for the Pro Wildlife group, said in a statement that “this killing was avoidable and, from our point of view, is unlawful.”
The zoo’s population of Guinea baboons had grown to 43 and was too big for a house opened in 2009 for 25 animals plus their young, leading to more conflicts among the animals.
Demonstrators from Animal Rebellion are arrested by the police after entering the grounds of the Nürnberg Zoo, 29 July, 2025 – AP Photo
The zoo has said it did take steps in the past to address the issue, with 16 baboons moving to zoos in Paris and China since 2011.
But those zoos, and another in Spain to which baboons were previously sent, had reached their own capacity. An attempt at contraception was abandoned several years ago after failing to produce the desired results.
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Animals are regularly euthanised in European zoos for a variety of reasons.
Some past cases have caused an outcry. For example, one in 2014 in which Copenhagen Zoo killed a healthy two-year-old giraffe, butchered its carcass in front of a crowd that included children and then fed it to lions.
German regional train derails, killing at least three people
At least 34 people were injured, some seriously, when a train derailed in southern Germany. The cause of the accident is not yet known, but heavy rain may have been a factor. The train was travelling from Munich to the city of Stuttgart when it derailed. The German government has offered its condolences to the families of the victims.
A regional passenger train derailed in southern Germany on Sunday, killing at least three people, authorities said. At least 34 people were injured, some seriously, according to initial reports.
Around 100 people were on board the train when at least two carriages derailed in a forested area in the evening between Riedlingen and Munderkingen, roughly 158 kilometres west of Munich. The train departed from Sigmaringen and was traveling to Ulm.
Photos from the scene showed parts of the train on its side as rescuers climbed atop the carriages.
Rescuers with dogs searched the train for any missing passengers who were potentially stuck under the derailed carriages, local media reported, adding that search efforts continued through the night. Cranes were expected to be brought in to lift up the carriges on Monday.
Federal and local police said the cause of the crash is still under investigation.
The region was hit by heavy storms earlier in the evening before the crash, and investigators are seeking to determine if the rain was a factor.
“There have been heavy rains here, so it cannot be ruled out that the heavy rain and a related landslide accident may have been the cause,” Interior Minister of the State of Baden Württenberg, Thomas Strobl, said.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in a post on social platform X that he mourned the victims and gave his condolences to their families.
Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s main national railway operator, said in a statement that it was cooperating with investigators. The company also offered its condolences.
German zoo kills 16 baboons due to space constraints and rising tensions
The Tiergarten Nürnberg Zoo first announced plans to sacrifice the baboons in February 2024. The facility, built in the late 2000s to house 25 animals and their young, had reached 43 primates. Rising tensions within the troop and concern among zookeepers prompted the decision. Activists now plan to file a criminal complaint against Nuremberg Zoo, which defended the move as a last resort.
The baboon population had grown to 43, rising tensions among them, the Zoo claimed | Credit: Jolanda Aalbers/Shutterstock
A zoo in the German city of Nuremberg has announced it euthanised 12 baboons on Tuesday because of a lack of space for them, ending a saga rooted in concerns that it lacked space to house them due to an increase in animals. The plan to cull them caused great controversy in the country.
The Tiergarten Nürnberg Zoo first announced plans to sacrifice the baboons in February 2024. It has been said that it examined offers to take in some of the animals but was unable to make any of them work, according to CNN.
The plans drew criticism from animal rights groups. They also drew protests at the zoo, which said on Monday that it would have to begin to prepare for the euthanisation of the 16 baboons. On Tuesday morning, it announced that it was closing for the day for unspecified “operational reasons.”
Shortly afterwards, the zoo confirmed the animals had been killed, German news agency DPA reported. Activists now plan to file a criminal complaint.
Rising tensions amongst baboons
The facility, built in the late 2000s to house 25 animals and their young, had reached 43 primates—prompting rising tensions within the troop and concern among zookeepers, CNN added.
Nuremberg Zoo defended the move as a last resort, citing welfare concerns caused by overcrowding and escalating conflict among the baboons.
Culling healthy animals in European zoos isn’t new—but it remains deeply divisive. In 2014, Copenhagen Zoo faced global backlash after killing a healthy giraffe in public, later feeding it to lions. Nuremberg’s decision, although less theatrical, is no less shocking to many.