Fresh branches for Schönbrunn's pachyderms: Elephant celebration for World Day!

Fresh branches for Schönbrunn's pachyderms: Elephant celebration for World Day!

World Elephant Day is just around the corner on August 12th, and Schönbrunn Zoo is celebrating with a particularly large delivery of fresh branches from the Vienna Woods. This week beech, oak, willow, birch and maple branches as well as branches of various shrubs were delivered to the magnificent pachyderms. As meinkreis.at reports, the support comes from the Austrian Federal Forests (ÖBf), which brings green food to the zoo every week.

The elephants in Schönbrunn Zoo are the largest and heaviest land mammals and have an enormous need for food. These branches are not only delicious food, but also an exciting activity for the animals. The team of carers has developed creative ideas: the branches are hung high up or hidden in the enclosure to enable the elephants to search for food in an exciting way. “It is a challenge to meet the high food requirements of our elephants,” emphasizes zoo director Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck.

Sustainability and biodiversity

Andreas Gruber, CEO of the ÖBf, delivered the delivery personally and emphasized the importance of sustainable forest management. The trees supplied not only promote biodiversity in the zoo, but also benefit other animal species, including giraffes, rhinos, colobus monkeys, domestic water buffalo and reindeer. This supports a diverse range of animals in the Schönbrunn Zoo, which offers visitors an impressive natural experience.

Elephant husbandry has changed significantly in recent decades. Many zoos, including Germany, have switched to so-called protected contact, in which keepers are separated from the animal by a protective grille. This ensures the safety of the animals and carers. The Cologne Zoo was the first to introduce this method for its entire herd, which is now considered exemplary.

Special features of elephants

In the wild, elephants are known to spend a lot of time foraging. In their natural environment, they teach themselves how to eat and what food sources they can use. This shows how important it is that zoo keeping takes the animals' natural instincts into account. More and more zoos are relying on larger, more natural facilities in order to meet the social needs and development of the animals.

World Elephant Day at Schönbrunn Zoo is not only used to celebrate the majestic animals, but also to draw attention to the important issues of environmental protection and animal husbandry. Visit the pachyderms and find out more about their way of life! The visit is worth it and for the benefit of these impressive animals.