Hope for Leipzig Zoo: Ibis offspring hatch despite worries!

Hope for Leipzig Zoo: Ibis offspring hatch despite worries!

A lot is currently happening at Leipzig Zoo: The animal keepers are facing major challenges, but they also have good news to report. The current focus is on raising animals from two different species, the maned ibis and the lion.

The latest episode of the popular series “Elephant, Tiger & Co” focuses on the search for offspring in the ibis enclosure. Maned ibis lady Chantal has laid three eggs. This news is picked up by thueringen24.de, which also points out that the zookeepers have had to struggle with offspring problems in the past. The eggs were often dead.

Hope for the maned ibis

Animal keeper Steffen Thies expresses optimistic thoughts on the current situation. He reports noticeable movements in the nest, which indicates a young animal has hatched. In order to better observe this process, a surveillance camera is installed. These recordings have already confirmed that at least one chick has hatched. Thies is relieved about the fluffy offspring, even though the remaining eggs probably didn't produce any more offspring.

The measures taken to raise the ibis young show how much responsibility the zookeepers at Leipzig Zoo have. Their work is crucial, not only for breeding but also for the well-being of the animals.

New lion offspring and challenges

Another bright spot at Leipzig Zoo is the birth of four lion cubs by the lioness Kigali. This happened on Wednesday night, and Kigali is taking exemplary care of her four young animals. After several failed breedings in the past, the current situation is of particular importance. mz.de reports that zoo director Jörg Junhold has noticed positive changes in the processes. Kigali appears active and motivated, which indicates that she takes the responsibility for her offspring seriously.

However, not everything is without problems: in the past, Kigali had offspring for the first time in 2019, which she ate shortly after birth. There were also tragic incidents in further births in 2021 and 2022 that resulted in the loss of young animals. In addition, lion keeper Jörg Gräser was transferred in April 2023, which led to great displeasure. With the death of the lion Majo, Kigali was ultimately left alone in her compound.

Although the situation looks promising, the zoo will only finally give the all-clear after several months. The lioness and her cubs are currently not visible to visitors.

Overall, the developments at Leipzig Zoo show both the challenges and the positive successes in breeding animals. It remains to be hoped that the zookeepers' activities will continue to bring positive results and that the young animals can lead a healthy life.