A total of 6,860 animals from 615 different species and breeds live in the zoo. The public’s favorites are divided into 446 species of vertebrates and 169 species of invertebrates. The zoo announced this on Thursday.
Counting the many animals with a clipboard and pen must be seen as purely symbolic, because detailed lists of the stock are kept throughout the year. This data is compiled for the inventory, the press release said. “Which species we keep in the zoo is planned precisely and depends on various factors, such as the threat status according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). We work closely with other zoos as well as species and nature conservation organizations. We coordinate our work and combine our strengths in order to be able to preserve animal species as best as possible,” said zoo director Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck.
Many new arrivals
According to the current count, there are 629 mammals, 689 birds, 760 reptiles and 586 amphibians. With 2,812 fish, these animals top the list in terms of quantity. 1,384 invertebrates such as jellyfish, insects and corals were recorded.
Among the many animals there are also many new arrivals such as Mexican four-eyed octopuses and Sulawesi cardinal shrimps. After being confiscated at Schwechat Airport, Namib noise geckos recently came to Schönbrunn. Last year there were also many offspring, such as the northern rockhopper penguins, the Kalong fruit bats and the sea lion seals.
The Schönbrunn Zoo was also the first zoo in the world to successfully breed crocodile-tailed tegus. In order to maintain healthy reserve populations, animals are also given to other zoological institutions. “As part of conservation breeding programs, genetic exchange is extremely important,” says Hering-Hagenbeck.
