Switch your mobile phones to flight mode, sit back, relax, and take off on a journey into the fascinating world of raptors and owls.
The Eurasian eagle owl scans the tiered seats of the open-air stage with its large ambercoloured eyes before swooping almost silently over the heads of the spectators and landing elegantly on the stage. After just one and a half years of preparation, the renovated Kiekemal Waldbühne is open on schedule and is welcoming in the autumn with impressive free-flight shows.
The open-air stage, which was previously used for music events on only a few days of the year, has undergone a €450,000 makeover to turn it into an impressive stage that now provides a daily attraction for all Tierpark visitors. The work was funded by the Berlin Senate Department for Finance, which provided the Tierpark with €5 million for immediate improvements.
The 3,300 m² stage and surrounding stands were modernised with the addition of around 1,000 seats, and aviaries were installed behind the stage to house the shows’ feathered stars. “In this free-flight show, raptors and owls demonstrate their intelligence and ability to learn while the public discover lots of interesting information about the behaviour of these birds,” explains Zoo and Tierpark Director Dr Andreas Knieriem. “I would like to thank and praise all members of the team – I know how much passion and dedication they have poured into this project, and it really shows in the end result.” The falconers have been out practising every day with their vultures, owls, and other birds of prey – now they can hardly wait for their protégés to show off their skills in front of a large audience.
“We have known these birds from the egg, and have formed a very close bond with them over the last one and a half years,” says head falconer Manuel Sembritzki. “They have basically grown up in our staff room.” Mutual trust is essential to the work of a falconer, and every bird has a personality of its own. The little African spotted eagle owl Frodo, for example, requires particular care and attention: “Frodo demands a lot of cuddles throughout the day,” smiles Manuel. “Ideally, he would like a keeper to move into his aviary.”
As well as the Eurasian and spotted eagle owls, two turkey vultures, three Harris hawks and even a young bald eagle are all ready to wow guests with their spectacular aerial manoeuvres.
A total of seven keepers will take it in turns to present the show alongside experienced head falconer Manuel.
The show lasts approximately 30 minutes and takes place daily at the Kiekemal Waldbühne (formerly called the Open-Air Stage) in Tierpark Berlin – except on Mondays, when the birds take a well-deserved day off. This season’s programme runs until 13 November. The new season of shows will begin in mid-March 2017.
The show is free of charge for Tierpark guests.
