During the construction and gardening work, which began in September 2021, the flamingos were housed in temporary accommodation behind the scenes. The birds are now on view again in their original location near the Flamingo entrance of the zoo, which is named after them.
"Ever since I was a child, the flamingos have always been the first thing that greets me when I enter the zoo via the flamingo entrance. The moment I see, hear and smell these beautiful and graceful birds, I know that I have arrived in the fascinating world of Hellabrunn Zoo,” said Verena Dietl, mayor and chair of the supervisory board. Clearly impressed by the new enclosure, she added: "The new aviary represents yet another architectural highlight at Hellabrunn. With it, the zoo not only complies with the latest animal husbandry requirements, but has also upgraded the facility with an extremely elegant design.”
Zoo Director Rasem Baban is equally impressed with the new cover netting, which was designed by architect and civil engineer Rudolf Brandstötter from the firm tragwerkstatt Civil Engineers GmbH and represents a special feature of the new facility: "The net is up to 9 m high and spans a total area of 552 m². The filigree mesh construction, which is hardly visible to the naked eye, is as impressive as it is functional. The structure is supported by two curved steel girders up to 50 m long and a mere 34 cm in diameter, representing a technical masterpiece. The Flamingo Island remains the heart of the facility. Surrounded by a moat with swamp plants, it offers plenty of space for the approximately 100 animals.” In addition to providing a summary of key architectural data, the director explained the benefits the new aviary brings for the flamingos: “The new protected habitat enhances their safety and makes it virtually impossible for invaders such as foxes to get to the island. The net also protects the delicate animals from other external influences," added Baban at today's press briefing in Hellabrunn Zoo. The event coincides with International Flamingo Day 2022, which is celebrated on 26 April worldwide to spread awareness about these iconic birds and the need to protect the vulnerable species.
For some years now, it has been prohibited to clip the wings of birds in human care, except in pre-approved exceptional cases. Clipping is a procedure in which a bird's wing feathers are shortened to limit its ability to fly. Wing clipping is completely painless as there are no nerves running through the wing feathers. It is similar to cutting human nails or hair. Nevertheless, Hellabrunn Zoo had been searching for alternative solutions, especially as clipping required catching the flamingos at regular intervals. Now thanks to the newly installed full cover netting, Hellabrunn Zoo will no longer need to conduct clipping in the future.
Curator Lena Bockreiss, who is responsible for the flamingos at Hellabrunn Zoo, added: “The decision to completely cover the flamingo enclosure with netting will make animal management much easier in future and complies with the modern housing requirements for the species. It offers them significantly more protection against intruders and other threats from outside. It also separates them from the ducks and other birds living in the immediate vicinity by the Auer Mühlbach river, which will protect them from contracting infectious diseases. In addition, we are now less affected by weather conditions. Previously, in the event of an approaching storm, the animals had to be brought indoors from their open enclosure due to the risk of falling branches from the high surrounding trees.”
As before the renovation, zoo guests can once again sit down on the visitor platform at the nearby Café Flamingo and watch the graceful birds while enjoying a cup of cappuccino or a bite to eat.