So sad: Orang-Utan drowned in zoo today

**Kirsten** · 07-30-2008, 04:09 PM

With much sadness I just read an article about the tragic accident that happened in the Hagenbeck zoo of Hamburg, Germany today: Obviously a visitor tried to throw a bread roll into the enclose of the Orangs, but it fell in the water trench. 10-year-old Female Orang-Utan Leila tried to reach it and fell into the water, and sadly, she drowned.

The report said that her animal keeper cried when this happened. The zoo did not find the visitor who was responsible.

Here's the article, it's German, but there's a picture of her:

http://www.spiegel.de/panorama/0,1518,569157,00.html

BTW, only a couple of years ago the same happened in the zoo of Hannover, when a huge male Gorilla drowned after he fell into the water ditch. He was also trying to catch some food swimming in there. I was very sad when that happened because I saw him many times when I visited the zoo.

Kirsten

**pitc9** · 07-30-2008, 04:24 PM

OMG... how sad.

RIP Leila.

**Karen** · 07-30-2008, 04:27 PM

Oh, how sad!

**chocolatepuppy** · 07-30-2008, 04:41 PM

How sad.

**lvpets2002** · 07-30-2008, 04:41 PM

OMG that is so tragic & sad.. Poor Baby.. RIP wittle one..

**Kirsten** · 07-31-2008, 10:12 AM

It's all over the news here today, it's so sad, and it also makes me angry when I'm thinking about that irresponsible zoo visitor. The zoo would like to file charges against the one who did it, but they haven't found out who it was. Well, I guess even if this person won't be found, he/she has to live with this for the rest of his/her life...

Kirsten

**Kirsten** · 08-01-2008, 03:23 PM

Read today that Leila's mother is mourning now. She looked for her daughter everywhere, stopped eating and pulled a towel over her head. I feel so bad for her!

Kirsten

**Ginger's Mom** · 08-01-2008, 03:32 PM

Not sure I understand completely. They have some sort of trench in the orangutan enclosures and the orangutans are drowning in them. Is it possible to not have them so deep that they drown? Sometimes you cannot control the behavior of large crowds of people and that is sad, but if there is something within the enclosure that is causing harm to the orangutans maybe it can be redesigned.

**Kirsten** · 08-01-2008, 03:38 PM

As far as I know, they are trying to find another solution now to make the trenches safer for the animals.

Here are some articles in English:

http://www.spiegel.de/international/

http://www.nationalledger.com

http://ap.google.com

Kirsten