Fasanerie Groß-Gerau: Zoo will remain closed for the time being

For more than 60 years, the small animal park in the Groß-Gerau Fasanerie has been an attraction for families with children.

But now the animal park is threatened with the end, which is probably mainly due to the chairman of the sponsoring association, who is denied the reliability for animal husbandry and responsibility for the animal park.

However, Groß-Gerau Mayor Erhard Walther (CDU) has said that he wants to do everything possible to preserve the park.

Nandus, snowy owls, donkeys, goats and pot-bellied pigs can be admired in the small park.

Up to 500 animals from 75 species romp around on an area of ​​almost five hectares.

But for a few weeks now, a hand-painted sign has been preventing access.

"Closed for operational reasons" is written there.

The background to this is a long-standing legal dispute between club chairman Stephan Müller and the authorities.

As early as 2018, the district's veterinary office had identified significant deficiencies in the zoo: some of a structural nature, but also lack of documentation regarding the keeping of the animals.

The veterinary office requires at least two full-time animal keepers in a park with more than 500 animals.

However, the required and appropriately qualified staff was not always available.

Müller also clashed with the authorities a few years ago because he did not comply with the requirements against bird flu as required by the veterinary office.

Müller went to court and lost.

Müller also sued against the conditions imposed by the veterinary office in 2018.

The verdict came in January.

"The display of animals is prohibited," it says in the best official German.

In other words: the small animal park, which was allowed to remain open for the duration of the procedure, had to close.

On the other hand, Müller had lodged an appeal with the Higher Administrative Court, which was, however, dismissed.

Therefore, the park was not closed until six months after the verdict.

Animals may no longer be shown in public

Animals may continue to be kept there, but they may no longer be shown to the public.

The association can submit a new application at any time to be allowed to reopen the zoo, the authorities said.

However, he had to prove the reliability of the club chairman.

In the past, when things were going even better in the park, the association not only had two trained animal keepers, but also three young people who did the federal voluntary service and three part-time workers sent by the job center.

But the staff shrank, probably mainly because of the not always easy tone cultivated by Müller, as insiders report.

Müller also repeatedly strikes a rough tone with the authorities.

The veterinary office, like the city of Groß-Gerau, which owns the area and pays the salaries of the two keepers, complains about Müller's inability to cooperate.

Groß-Gerau Mayor Erhard Walther recently even spoke to the press about "threatening scenarios" and called on the association, which has around 200 members, to elect a chairman who was authorized to run the zoo and who was willing to put a sustainable concept on the table and to comply with the legal obligations of the association.

Müller, on the other hand, complained in the press that the mayor was not available for talks with the club.

In the meantime, the relationship between Müller and the mayor seems to have improved.

As Walther told the FAZ, Müller asked for an interview in the town hall a week and a half ago.

According to Walther, he won't close his eyes to that, especially since many families who are concerned about the future of the zoo have reported to the town hall.

"We want to preserve this park," said the mayor.

But the association must name a reliable contact person for this.

A concept was also needed as to how the ticket booth could be permanently occupied and how the western part of the park could be structurally modified.

The ticket office has not been manned for a long time, visitors throw a donation into a cash register.

Time is pressing, because if necessary the veterinary office could also prohibit animal husbandry, either auction the animals or contact other animal parks that could take the animals.

Walther emphatically rejected the impression that the animals were being neglected.

A kindergarten group had commented on this because the deer there were completely emaciated.

No one could be reached by phone in the Fasanerie on Monday, and there was also no response to an email asking for a conversation with the club chairman.

Since the association currently has no income due to the closed zoo, but the costs for caring for the animals continue, things are likely to get tight financially in the near future.