Wolves back in Worms: New facility inspires visitors and children!

Wolves back in Worms: New facility inspires visitors and children!

Four European wolves entered the Worms Tiergarten in December 2022. Since then, these majestic animals have regularly been available to visitors. District manager Nina Au and her team accompanied the wolves at the relocation and ensured a gentle acclimatization. The zoo had not housed a wolf for over a year, and the return of these animals was eagerly awaited.

After the first nine weeks, the wolves settled in well. The animals initially arrived in a protected area behind the scenes to avoid stress. According to Achim Herb, the first chairman of the Freundeskreis Tiergarten Worms e.V., Darko, the largest wolf, has already played a leading role in the pack. This reflects the different individual character traits of the wolves, all of whom have interesting preferences and strengths.

Special events and information

The return of the wolves was accompanied by numerous events that have taken place since the beginning of the year. Visitors were able to take part in special tours and shovels, especially from the barrier -free Wolfsbrücke. Special wolf tours were offered for the younger guests that were very well received. In cooperation with Nabu Worms-Wonnegau, an information stand was also set up. This received special interest among young visitors who wanted to learn more about the fascinating animals.

The ceremonial opening of the new wolf complex was organized by Achim Herb, deputy Timo Horst and Nina Scharer. Numerous guests of honor, including Mayor Adolf Kessel, were present. Kessel emphasized the attraction of this new investment technology and described the wolf enclosure as a showcase project. Timo Horst also praised the voluntary commitment of the Freundeskreis, which has covered a large part of the costs for realization.

The wolf population in Germany

The return of the wolves to the Worms zoo is part of a larger trend in Germany, where the wolf population has been increasing again for a long time. In the monitoring year 2022/2023, 184 wolf packs, 47 wolf pairs and 22 resident individual wolves were recorded in Germany. This shows that wolves, which were once almost eradicated, are increasingly setting up in their former habitats. The wolf has been a strictly protected way since 1980 and enjoys a comeback that brings both challenges and opportunities for living together with people.

The wolves in the Worms zoo come from the wild paradise in Tripsdrill, Baden-Württemberg, and are siblings. Their exact origin and the new enclosure are reminiscent of the history of the wolves in the zoo, especially the last old wolf "the little one". The visitor's great curiosity shows that interest in these animals is still unbroken.