Overview
- Tierpark Hellabrunn said on Wednesday that it dispatched 23 Mantelpaviane as gifts to partner zoos in Bosnia and Algeria to prepare space for the panda project.
- German customs officers at Garching-Hochbrück conducted on-site inspections and required a valid CITES export permit for each individual baboon, warning that protected animals without paperwork can be seized.
- The animals were split into two groups, given health checks, and moved by land to Bosnia and by airplane to Algeria under a specialist transport operation.
- The zoo describes the relocation as an initial milestone for a larger project that will repurpose the old baboon area and begin construction in the coming months ahead of the pandas’ planned 2028 arrival.
- Under the CITES rules used in these checks, protected species are treated as goods for customs purposes, China commonly lends pandas under bilateral agreements, and Hellabrunn says it will cover ongoing lease costs mainly through higher visitor numbers.