Over 2,600 Animals Were Rescued at the Budapest Zoo in 2024

  • 20 Jan 2025 7:40 AM
Over 2,600 Animals Were Rescued at the Budapest Zoo in 2024
Last year, the wildlife rescuers of the Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden rescued 2,606 individuals of 127 species. The majority of the animals were birds, but there were also many small mammals and some reptiles and amphibians, the Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden informed MTI on Sunday.

According to the Hungarian Bird Rescue Foundation, established by the zoo, the largest number of rescued animals in 2024, 1,301 individuals of 92 species, were birds. Mammals were represented by 1,096 individuals of 22 species, reptiles by 206 individuals of 11 species, while amphibians by 3 individuals of 2 species.

The largest number of birds rescued were blackbirds (160 individuals) and white storks (44 individuals), but short-eared owls, barn owls, little egrets, golden eagles, ring-tailed lemurs, eagle owls, barn owls, kestrels, ospreys, black storks, buzzards, blue vultures, steppe buzzards, murres, Ural owls, bustards and peregrine falcons were also among the rescued animals.

According to the information, more than half of the mammals rescued were eastern hedgehogs: a total of 598 porcupines were cared for. 449 bats from 14 different species were also helped, as well as squirrels, various voles and a beaver.

In addition, two rescued wild cats have also been admitted to the Budapest Zoo. They were found in June by specialists from the Danube-Drava National Park Directorate (DDNPI) in Somogy County, near Szenna. The cubs were raised by the zoo's wildlife rescue specialists and released in mid-October in Kardosfa near Zselickisfalud, they wrote.

Last year was the second highest annual number of rescues since the zoo's wildlife rescue began. More rescued animals were brought into the zoo only in 2021, when 2,624 individuals of 120 species were helped at the wildlife rescue center. Over the past ten years, professionals have cared for more than 21,000 rescued animals.

Wildlife rescue is an important part of the extensive nature conservation activities of the Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden.

They participate in the rescue of individuals of animal species native to Hungary, protected or highly protected, under nature conservation protection, which for some reason have gotten into trouble in nature and would die without professional human help.

Animals that are injured, weakened, orphaned, or in need of help for other reasons are rehabilitated at the Budapest Zoo's wildlife rescue center: they are healed, strengthened, or raised. The goal is for the animals to thrive in nature again without human help, the statement says.

Source: 
MTI - The Hungarian News Agency, founded in 1881.

*********************************

You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories via our Facebook page: 
Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoop’s groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary

You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters

Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? Then just contact us here.

  • How does this content make you feel?

Explore More Reports