Do you still remember Ali? If so, you are definitely not alone in Hesse. Even apart from the bull elephant who died in 2004, tons of memories have accumulated in the Opel Zoo over the past 70 years. Some Hessians rode for the first time in Kronberg, on a pony or even between the humps of a camel. For others, the sight of the hippos in the pool is etched in their minds. Or your own in one of the distorting mirrors at the playground. There has been material for new stories in the elephant house for a good eight months. A little more than 21 years after the news of the death of the seven-ton truck Ali, the zoo was able to report the birth of the 97-pound calf Kaja at the end of May 2025. The incredibly cute animal is the reward for 15 years of preparatory work. Because it is tricky to put together a herd of elephants suitable for breeding, and it is time-consuming to build an elephant enclosure so that a bull can be isolated. The birth also crowns the career of zoo director Thomas Kauffels, who has been running the Opel Zoo, which opened in 1956, for almost 28 years. The doctor of zoology worked as an animal keeper for a long time before studying. Anyone who travels with him on the grounds in Taunus notices this – not least when dealing with Kaja, who is still small but soon weighs 300 kilos. Some annual pass holders come every day because of the young animal. In total, the zoo counted more than 648,000 visitors last year, more than ever before in its almost 70 years of existence. This is due to Kaja, the reticulated giraffe Kianga, who was also born in 2025, and the weather. But it certainly also has to do with the good work that the team at the zoo obviously does, from the director to the veterinarian and the animal keepers to the communications and zoo education staff. There is an extensive range of activities for children and young people.More on the topicAll of this is also worth mentioning because the Opel Zoo is privately funded by a foundation and is financed primarily through the admission fees, which are not subsidized. Adults pay 18.50 euros, which seems to be an absolutely fair price considering what’s on offer. In its anniversary year, the zoo is now pushing ahead with another major project: As soon as the building application is approved, work will begin on a facility for Indian rhinos and other Asian species.
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