Four Bactrian camels will leave the zoo for a farm in the canton of Thurgau. The zoo plans to bring in golden takins, a threatened species, in their place.
Zoo director Severin Dressen said the camels are a domestic breed and are not endangered. The space, he said, could be used more effectively for a species that needs conservation support.
Golden takins are bovids native to the Himalayas. They have golden coats and resemble a cross between a goat and a cow. The zoo plans to move them into the camels’ enclosure as part of a new strategy.
By 2030, the zoo aims to keep only species that are threatened or relevant to research. It also plans to move its seals in the coming years. Their current facility is outdated, and the seals are not an endangered species. Their future home has not yet been identified.
The camels will go to Kamelhof Olmerswil in the canton of Thurgau. Dressen said the zoo would find new homes for all animals that leave. They are part of European animal-keeping and breeding programmes. Elephants, rhinos, gorillas, tigers and giraffes will remain because their wild populations are considered threatened.