2023-05-26 10:03:40
by Linda Schildbach, MDR CURRENT
As of May 26, 2023 07:27
The transfer of the animal keeper Jörg Gräser at the Leipzig Zoo caused a stir. In an online petition, fans are now demanding his return. Also in “Elephant, Tiger & Co.” he was seen more often and enjoyed great popularity among viewers. However, Leipzig Zoo emphasizes that although transparency is practiced, personnel decisions are part of the company’s internal affairs.
Whenever Jörg Gräser isn’t in the Leipzig Zoo, he immediately notices. The popular animal keeper, nicknamed “Löwenpapa”, has been on the MDR program “Elefant, Tiger & Co.” for 20 years. to see.
Editor Jochen Vinzelberg says regarding him: “A very important face, who of course always addressed people with his very special way. If he then suddenly wasn’t on the show for a few weeks, that was also the case in between, for example when he was on vacation, there were always questions.”
Elephant, Tiger & Co.: Public inquiries are piling up
That The fact that he was temporarily or permanently transferred this time only became clear to the MDR editors during the course of April during the shooting. Instead of lions, Pfleger Gräser now takes care of tame goats and rabbits in the South America area.
At the MDR, however, the audience inquiries piled up: “The sound was also a bit rougher, because many then had the feeling that we as ‘elephant, tiger & co.’ “We can determine that he will be back in the next episode. We can’t do that, we are observers, visitors to the zoo.”
Zoo Leipzig: Personnel decisions are internal to the company
For a long time, Leipzig Zoo was silent regarding the surprising transfer of the 54-year-old lion dad. In an interview with the MDR, director Jörg Junhold now explained: “Our practice is transparency. But there are also decisions, personnel decisions are part of them, they are internal to the company and I therefore ask for your understanding that we cannot say anything regarding them.”
However, there are now some wild rumors circulating on the internet. That hits the zoo hard, said zoo director Junhold and adds, “and also affects us. I can only ask the fans to be moderate and to think regarding their statements.”
Zoo visitor: It shocks me that it leaves them so cold
The longtime zoo visitor Babette Wernecke had recently spoken to him on the phone. She told the MDR: “I think he’s a broken man. And the fact that they’re so cold and they fool off a long-term animal keeper shocks me. There was no thank you in any post.”
Petition: Fans demand the return of grasses
In an online petition, fans are now calling for the animal keeper to return to his traditional lion territory. Around 8,000 people signed it within four days. But will that make the zoo rethink? So far there are no signs of this.
In one of the next episodes of “Elephant, Tiger & Co.” But if the change should be an issue, says Jochen Vinzelberg: “Should we shoot with the lions once more, then of course we’ll either talk regarding where he is or, that’s our wishful thinking, we’ll shoot with him once more at some point in his new area .”
Nothing stands in the way of that, according to the editor of “Elefant, Tiger & Co.”.
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