Image: HELMUT FOHRINGER (APA)
A special kind of procedure is currently pending at the Vienna Administrative Court: In March 2021, the director of Schönbrunn Zoo, Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck, applied to the authority for a gun pass and an exceptional permit, including to carry a pump gun. The authorities refused. Now the court is to make a decision, a hearing on June 30 was adjourned indefinitely.
According to the daily newspaper “Heute”, in March 2021 Hering-Hagenbeck applied for a firearms pass and a special permit to carry a large-calibre bolt-action shotgun – a so-called pump gun – and a .44 Magnum handgun. The police are said to have refused this because “the defense against dangerous attacks is basically the responsibility of the security authorities and the security executive”. This was not confirmed by the police to the APA because no information about personal data was given, according to spokeswoman Barbara Gass.
Tiergarten: Weapons necessary in an emergency
On Thursday afternoon, the zoo emphasized on its website that there was a safety concept at Schönbrunn Zoo and that it was being evaluated on an ongoing basis. Depending on the situation, weapons are also taken into account in these security concepts. In cooperation with the Austrian executive and experts, care is taken to react appropriately in possible emergency situations – such as an animal escape. And it could be “in absolute emergencies and exceptional situations” that you need an efficient weapon when it comes to “protecting the life and limb of visitors and employees,” says the statement. “In an emergency, it can be crucial to have the people involved directly on site. A weapon is also necessary to implement quick and direct deterrent measures. Only experts who know how to assess their animals can do that. Rubber bullets and rubber shot can be used, to scare the animal away and not kill it. Only a team of trained experts has access to the safely stored weapon.”
Currently three large caliber guns in the zoo
According to Hering-Hagenbeck, as he said in the ORF interview (see above), there are currently three large-caliber weapons in the zoo that are safely stored and may only be used by employees who have the relevant expertise. “It’s not about me personally, it’s about Schönbrunn Zoo.” Although one is “basically well positioned” in the zoo with these weapons, there are certain scenarios in which a large-caliber shotgun could be used universally and more safely. The zoo director emphasized that the pump-action gun is a pump-action rifle that can be loaded with different types of ammunition, but also with rubber bullets to scare an animal. Such a weapon was already “in stock” when he was working in Hamburg. That’s why he also submitted the application for the Vienna Tiergarten, he said in an ORF interview. “We don’t want to have to kill our animals. But when in doubt, when human life is at stake, there must be this option.”
Stop lions and other predators quickly
In his opinion, police weapons would not be technically suitable for stopping large animals. However, possible applications would always be discussed and agreed in advance in cooperation with the executive. “Obviously, during operations, all potential risks must be taken into account, and the safety of our visitors and employees is our top priority,” said the zoo in its statement. Hering-Hagenbeck justified the approval of particularly heavy weapons in the “Heute” with this because large game and large carnivores such as lions, leopards, bears and elephants can be stopped quickly if they escape from their enclosure. According to “Heute”, he claimed that the police were not able to get to the scene quickly enough and would not find their way around the zoo. “The police also don’t have the zoological knowledge to be able to judge when a dangerous animal can still be scared away and when it needs to be killed quickly.”
According to the newspaper “Heute”, the zoo director apparently justified his request “with the risk of a deliberate ‘animal liberation’ by animal rights activists”. When asked by the APA whether there was currently a threat scenario, this was denied and it was emphasized that security concepts are revised in times when nothing is happening. It’s not just about animal outbreaks, but also about natural disasters or energy crises.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs, as the zoo’s owner, emphasized on Thursday afternoon that “the creation of the security concept is the responsibility of the zoo, which has to ensure the highest possible level of protection for its employees and visitors. and approval procedures are the responsibility of the zoo.” The ministry has “complete trust in the processes and decision-making processes in the security authorities and courts”.
Search for lioness in Berlin
A large number of people are currently looking for an apparently escaped lioness between Berlin and Potsdam. The veterinary office and the city hunter have been alerted. Numerous officials, hundreds of them, drones and helicopters with thermal imaging cameras are in action. The population in the affected areas was asked not to let pets and farm animals outdoors. It was still unclear where the wild animal could have come from.
Source: Nachrichten
