Tierpark Hagenbeck Opens New Elephant Educational Trail

(eap) Hamburg’s Tierpark Hagenbeck zoo has opened a new educational trail offering visitors fascinating insights into the world of elephants through informative and interactive exhibits. At six stations, visitors can learn more about different elephant species, their communication, anatomy and diet, as well as the threats they face in the wild and efforts to protect them.

© Photo: Hagenbeck

The trail also encourages hands-on exploration: Visitors can, for instance, use a hand crank to produce authentic elephant sounds, compare their own footprint with that of an elephant, walk through a historic elephant transport box or take a close look at an elephant molar.

“Species conservation begins with knowledge, because we only protect what we know. We want to inspire people to discover the fascinating world of elephants by providing comprehensive and engaging information about these animals. In doing so, we aim to raise awareness and encourage people to get involved in protecting them. This will help strengthen conservation efforts in the long term,” explains Mira Kuhnhardt, Species Conservation Officer at Tierpark Hagenbeck.

In addition to biological facts, the trail explores Hagenbeck’s long history of keeping elephants and offers an outlook on future developments in elephant care and conservation. “Elephants communicate in many different ways and form close social bonds. I hope the trail will give visitors a better understanding of the world of these gentle giants,” says Michael Schmidt, an animal keeper at the park’s elephant house.

The project received financial support from the Hagenbeck Foundation. Cord Crasselt, a member of the foundation’s board, explains: “Understanding is the foundation of effective species conservation. That is why we are always happy to support projects that inspire people to take an interest in animals and nature.” ■