Schönbrunner Tiergarten says goodbye to glasses leaf nose bats

Schönbrunner Tiergarten says goodbye to glasses leaf nose bats

In the Schönbrunn zoo, there was a drastic change in the bats living there. The famous glasses leaf noses, which many visitors have been able to observe in the rainforest house, have not been seen since August. The reason for this withdrawal lies in an excessive increase in animals, which caused the management of the zoo to make drastic decisions.

The zoo has tried for several years to control the population of the bats. Around 400 males were neutered in 2018 to slow down the growth of the colony. Nevertheless, the success failed to do: "We did not succeed in finding all males in the natural caves," explains the zoo. Some of the animals lived in the extensive rainforest house, which made control of their reproduction significantly more difficult.

drastic measures taken

The decision to use some bats as feed for drug pythons was not made lightly. The zoo management emphasizes the natural aspect of this feeding: "So we can hereby ensure adequate feeding of these rare reptiles." In nature, the glasses leaf noses are among the prey of this type of snake and thus offer a way to maintain the natural food cycle.

The rainforest house in the Schönbrunner Tiergarten is currently being completely renovated, which makes it temporarily closed. The completion of the comprehensive renovation work is planned for the coming year, followed by the reopening with a new concept. It remains to be seen which new species will find its way into the rainforest house and how the visitors will react to it.

For more information about the ongoing developments in the Schönbrunn Tiergarten and the handling of the bats, interested readers can Read at www.meinbezirk.at