Wilhelma in April

23.4.2023 – Photos by Petra Ballon, Source: Wilhelma

This time we start our tour in Wilhelma with belated birthday wishes to Mr Oki who celebrated his 12th birthday on the 17th of April.

These golden-headed lion tamarins must have seen or heard something very special! 🙂

Minister of Finance ‘adopted’ a sea lion at Wilhelma

Finance Minister Dr. Danyal Bayaz: “Californian sea lions are particularly fast and elegant animals” Wilhelma Director Dr. Thomas Kölpin: “Sponsorships are very important for our work”. Finance Minister Dr. Danyal Bayaz took today over the sponsorship of the sea lion bull “Unesco” at Wilhelma. Unesco is a Californian sea lion and weighs 280 kilos. He was born in Karlsruhe Zoo in 2006 and has lived at Wilhelma since 2009.

06.04.2023 – Wilhelma director helps with difficult birth of twins of the Border Leicester sheep

In March and April, the various breeds of sheep have offspring at Wilhelma. “For hoofed animals, which include the sheep, the rutting season is in autumn,” explains zoologist Kerstin Ludmann. “The result is then born in spring.” So there are already some little lambs jumping around in the enclosures of the Skudden and Border Leicester sheep. The latter fit in particularly well with the Easter season: with their fine, bright faces and long, upright spoons, the three Border Leicester lambs, a single youngster and a pair of twins, seem like a seasonally adapted freak of nature. They look like a droll mix of Easter lamb and Easter bunny.

For the twins of the Border Leicester sheep, the way to our world was not easy: A passer-by in Rosenstein Park became aware of the birth at Wilhelma late in the evening and informed the police, who then alerted Zoo Director Dr Thomas Kölpin. He found a newborn young animal in the enclosure of the Border Leicester sheep and noticed that the mother animal had a second lamb on the way, but it was stuck in the birth canal. A veterinarian was called in, the second young animal was retrieved with combined efforts. “Without the efforts of Dr Kölpin and Dr Weigold, the two lambs and the mother would no longer be alive,” says Wilhelma press officer Florian Pointke. Both young animals and the mother are doing well.

It’s wonderful to see the bond between the Somali wild ass and the keeper. This kind of photos always make me feel a bit envious although I know that being a zoo keeper is a hard job. However, it’s very rewarding, too!

Kune Kune Thommy is enjoying the sun rays.

Suyana was in a playing mood and the blue barrel is one of her favourite toys.

Even a branch of tree can be very entertaining.

This is Herr Leopold keeping an eye on the visitors! 🙂

Okapi Tano looks beautiful in the sunshine.

We end this tour with this lovely bush dog ….

…. or not quite. We mustn’t forget the cute squirrels in Wilhelma!