Animal rights activists criticise chimpanzee birth in Swiss zoo

The animal welfare organisation Peta has criticised the keeping of chimpanzees in zoos. This was prompted by the birth of a baby chimpanzee at Walter Zoo in Gossau, northeastern Switzerland. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox In a statement, Peta called on the zoo to stop breeding apes. A West African chimpanzee was born at Walter Zoo in mid-January. The zoo announced this in a statement. The animal welfare organisation reacted with criticism on Tuesday. Peta compares the keeping of great apes in captivity in zoos with the lifelong imprisonment of a human being. As a result, the animals repeatedly suffer sudden deaths, behavioural disorders and other illnesses. + Petition calls for a ban on circus animals in Switzerland According to Walter Zoo, West African chimpanzees are acutely threatened with extinction. It is estimated that there are only 18,000 to 65,000 individuals left in the wild. The birth of the chimpanzee in Gossau therefore also demonstrates ...