The Oberverwaltungsgericht Lüneburg has answered the question where chimpanzee Robby should live in the future: The monkey may stay with his owner Klaus Köhler. Robby has lived with the circus operator for decades.
Decisive for the decision is the high age of the 43-year-old monkey, the court justified its decision. Because of the low life expectancy of the animal, a levy is not proportionate.
The judgment marks the provisional end of a long legal dispute between the responsible district and Köhler. The district of Celle had arranged in 2015 to accommodate the animal in a special facility. In contrast, the circus operator filed a lawsuit.
DPA
Ringmaster Klaus Köhler and chimpanzee Robby (archive photo from 2015)
He had lost in the first instance before the administrative court in Lüneburg. The judges pointed out that an expert had certified the chimpanzee living alone a serious behavioral disorder.
The monkey was in good physical condition, but he lacked the contact with conspecifics. Therefore, housing in a rehabilitation facility for monkeys is justified. A Habituation could still succeed after all these years, said the expert. However, the judges at the administrative court also decided then that Robby may stay until the final conclusion of the case provisionally continue with the circus.
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Now the decision in the appeal hearing has fallen - and the verdict of the administrative court has been overturned. A revision did not allow the higher administrative court. In contrast, the district appeal. But that should happen at the earliest, if the written verdict is present - probably only in a few weeks. The appeal against non-admission would have to be decided by the Federal Administrative Court.
Robby was born according to the court in a German zoo, separated early from his conspecifics and lives at least since the age of five in the circus of the plaintiff.