Landau Zoo: Funding Approved for Flamingo Exhibit Upgrade
Der rheinland-pfälzische Ministerpräsident Alexander Schweitzer (Mi.) übergibt den Förderbescheid im Zoo Landau. Ebenfalls anwesend waren Landaus Bürgermeister Lukas Hartmann (2.v.li.) und Zoodirektor Jens-Ove Heckel (re. außen). Foto: Courtesy of Zoo Landau
(eap) Great excitement at Landau Zoo in Germany’s Rhineland-Palatinate region: on 3 November 2025, Minister President Alexander Schweitzer presented a grant notification from the state of Rhineland-Palatinate of 1.17 million euros for the redesign of the zoo’s flamingo enclosure. Together with up to 750,000 euros contributed by the Freundeskreis Zoo Landau e.V. (Friends of Landau Zoo Association), the financing of the largest construction project in the zoo’s 120-year history is now secured.
The aim of the project is to bring flamingo husbandry in line with modern standards. Over the course of the coming year, an approximately 870-square-meter, netted enclosure will be built for the more than 30 Chilean flamingos, whose population is expected to grow to up to 50 animals. It will be equipped with a lagoon, a breeding area, and a barn building with shallow water pools that will be visible to zoo visitors. The netting is intended to prevent both the intrusion of predators and the introduction of diseases.
The turtles already living in the enclosure and, in the future, South American wild guinea pigs will also find a home in the facility. New visitor areas, including a observation shelter and a barrier-free boardwalk within the large aviary, will make the facility a memorable experience. Zoo director Dr. Jens-Ove Heckel described the investment as an important step toward further improving animal welfare and species conservation at Landau Zoo. ■
