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Swiss conservationists want Basel zoo gorilla breeding to stop

The Fondation Franz Weber calls for an end to gorilla breeding in Basel
The Fondation Franz Weber calls for an end to gorilla breeding in Basel Keystone-SDA

The Fondation Franz Weber (FFW) nature conservation foundation is calling for an end to the gorilla breeding programme at Basel Zoo after two animal deaths.

The foundation is also demanding that the zoo provide clarification on the circumstances that led to the euthanasia of a male gorilla.

The FFW published a detailed statement calling for greater transparency regarding the circumstances that led to the euthanasia of Mobali, the 11-year-old male gorilla.

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The foundation also criticised the breeding of gorillas in captivity in general and called on Basel Zoo to discontinue its breeding programme.

The zoo intends to continue keeping and breeding gorillas, a spokeswoman told Keystone-SDA. Although Basel participates in the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria’s (EAZA) ex-situ conservation programme, it does not run its own breeding programme.

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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist. 

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