Who will move into the Elephant House?
The shell of Europe’s largest elephant house is almost finished, and the 3,500 m² foil cushion roof is expected to be completed this spring. But the new Elephant House won’t only house elephants: the big grey mammals will be joined by honey badgers, rock hyraxes, weaverbirds and various reptiles.
The reptiles will be situated in the centre of the foyer, as will the weaverbirds, and visitors will be able to watch the skilled birds building their intricate round basketwork nests. At the heart of the Elephant House will be a large pool where visitors can get an up-close view of the elephants bathing and splashing.
The honey badger – an omnivore that eats much more than just honey – will also gain a new home at the site. In the future, the Tierpark’s elephants will be kept according to the principle of “protected contact”, meaning the keepers will no longer enter their space when the animals are present. The concrete pillars will serve as a barrier between visitors and elephants.
The natural sand floor has already been laid, and initial preparations have been made for the behavioural enrichment installations, where the elephants will be able to seek out tasty treats with their nimble trunks.
The interior is designed to resemble the animals’ natural habitat, with islands of vegetation and artificial stone cliffs. The external habitats have been merged, greatly expanding the space available to the elephants. The finished facility will have a total surface area of 7,000 m². Although the construction of Europe’s largest elephant house is well underway, the date for its opening has yet to be set.
