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NBC News
8 minutes ago
- NBC News
German zoo kills 12 healthy baboons that it didn't have space to house
BERLIN — A zoo in the German city of Nuremberg said it killed 12 baboons on Tuesday despite protests, capping a saga rooted in concerns that the zoo had too little space to house a growing group of the animals. The Tiergarten Nürnberg zoo first announced plans to kill baboons it didn't have space for in February 2024. It has said that it examined offers to take in some of the animals but was unable to make any of them work. The plans drew criticism from animal protection groups. They also drew protests at the zoo, which said on Monday that it would have to start preparing to kill baboons. On Tuesday morning, it announced that it was closing for the day for unspecified 'operational reasons.' On Tuesday afternoon, police said seven activists climbed over a wall into the zoo, and one woman glued her hands to the ground. The group was detained a few yards inside the entrance. Shortly afterward, the zoo said it had killed 12 baboons. The deputy director, Jörg Beckmann, said the zoo had chosen animals that weren't pregnant females or part of studies, and that they were shot. Samples were taken for research purposes, and the bodies were then to be fed to the zoo's predators. Zoo director Dag Encke told a news conference that the killings followed 'yearslong consideration.' He argued that they had become necessary to maintain a healthy population because having a group that had outgrown its accommodation and couldn't be reduced by other means was pushing the zoo into conflict with animal protection laws. Animal rights groups said they filed a criminal complaint against the zoo's management, arguing that the killings themselves violated animal protection laws and that the zoo had failed in its breeding management. Laura Zodrow, a spokesperson for the Pro Wildlife group, said in a statement that 'this killing was avoidable and, from our point of view, is unlawful.' The zoo's population of Guinea baboons had grown to 43 and was too big for a house opened in 2009 for 25 animals plus their young, leading to more conflicts among the animals. The zoo has said it did take steps in the past to address the issue, with 16 baboons moving to zoos in Paris and China since 2011. But those zoos, and another in Spain to which baboons were previously sent, had reached their own capacity. An attempt at contraception was abandoned several years ago after failing to produce the desired results. Animals are regularly euthanized in European zoos for a variety of reasons. Some past cases have caused an outcry; for example, one in 2014 in which Copenhagen Zoo killed a healthy 2-year-old giraffe, butchered its carcass in front of a crowd that included children and then fed it to lions.


AsiaOne
an hour ago
- AsiaOne
France starts airdrops of humanitarian aid into Gaza, World News
PARIS - France on Friday (Aug 1) started to air-drop 40 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Gaza as it urged Israel to allow full access to the area which it said was slipping into famine. "Faced with the absolute urgency, we have just conducted a food airdrop operation in Gaza. Thank you to our Jordanian, Emirati, and German partners for their support, and to our military personnel for their commitment," President Emmanuel Macron wrote on social media platform X. "Airdrops are not enough. Israel must open full humanitarian access to address the risk of famine," he added. Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot earlier in the day had told broadcaster franceinfo that France was sending four flights carrying 10 tonnes of humanitarian aid each to Gaza from Jordan. A global hunger monitor said on Tuesday that a famine scenario was unfolding in the Gaza Strip, with malnutrition soaring, children under five dying of hunger-related causes and humanitarian access severely restricted. France participated six times in the European humanitarian airlift set up in mid-October 2023 by the European Union to Jordan and Egypt to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, Macron's office said. The European airlift enabled the organisation of more than 60 flights carrying over 3,350 tons of humanitarian cargo, with most of the donations in-kind transiting through Egypt and Jordan, according to Macron's office. Part of this aid has still not entered Gaza due to a lack of agreement from the Israeli authorities, the president's office said. [[nid:720862]]

The Journal
4 hours ago
- The Journal
US taxi app Lyft completes acquisition of Freenow for around €175m
US RIDE-HAILING GIANT Lyft has completed its acquisition of taxi app Freenow. In April, Lyft announced it had entered a definitive agreement, for around €175 million , to acquire Freenow from its current owners, German carmakers BMW and Mercedes-Benz. In a statement yesterday, Lyft announced that the acquisition has been completed. Lyft is a North American ride hailing app, that offers rideshare, bikes and scooters – it's second only to Uber in the US market for allowing users book trips with its drivers. Lyft had 23.7 million active riders in 2024. Advertisement In a statement, Lyft said the move will see the two companies 'join forces to seize the incredible opportunity of doubling Lyft's current addressable market to more than 300 billion personal vehicle trips per year'. Lyft CEO David Risher said the move will 'bring out the best of each company to the other' while Freenow CEO Thomas Zimmerman said that for European users of the app, the service will be 'amplified'. 'With Lyft's platform and resources behind us, we can innovate faster and serve drivers, passengers, and city partners even better,' Zimmerman added. For users of the Freenow app, they will be prompted to download Lyft whenever they use Freenow in the US and Canada. Lyft also said that in the coming months, European users will 'experience more consistent pricing and faster matchings'. Meanwhile, Freenow drivers are told to expect more rides as Lyft users will be prompted to download Freenow whenever they are in Europe. Lyft also noted that around 50% of taxi bookings in Europe take place offline and that it is 'committed to strengthen Freenow's leadership in the taxi industry, backed by decades of trusted partnerships with regulators, cities, unions, and fleet operators'. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal