Artis Zoo in Amsterdam to relocate sea lions to Singapore
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By Simone Jacobs
Visitors to the zoo in Amsterdam can bid farewell to the sea lions in the coming weeks, as the animals are set to leave Artis. The Dutch zoo is relocating the sea lions to Singapore because there is not enough space to provide the pinnipeds with the best living conditions and welfare possible in the long term.
Sea lions to leave Dutch zoo in Amsterdam
For the first time in 100 years, Artis won’t have any sea lions at the zoo. Watching the feedings and seeing the sea lions swim around their enclosures is a favourite for many, so it is a sad time for visitors and zookeepers.
The Amsterdam zoo announced that the sea lions were leaving after the Party for the Animals (PvdD) reported Artis to the inspectorate over concerns about the sea lions' welfare. According to Artis, the zoo has been looking into improving the long-term welfare of the animals for a while already and had discussed this with PvdD before.
“The current sea lion enclosure has been our concern for some time now, as it doesn't meet Artis' ideal requirements for this species,” wrote the zoo in a press release. “Therefore, we've been actively searching for an alternative location for some time.” The first two seals were relocated to another European zoo last year, and the remaining three will be relocated to Singapore Zoo once their new enclosure is ready.
Artis Zoo redesigning several animal enclosures
Artis is currently in the process of redesigning the zoo, with changes expected for the penguins, chimpanzees and gorillas, among others. "We want to adapt the enclosures and give the animals more space. When such adaptations aren't possible, you have to make choices," Artis animal care manager Tjerk ter Meulen told AT5.
Ideally, the sea lions would have a larger enclosure with more of their own kind, as they are social animals, but that is not possible for Artis at this stage, which is why they will be leaving the zoo. "Our team has worked with this species for years, so it's painful, but we all support it," said Ter Meulen.
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Editor for the Netherlands at IamExpat Media. Simone studied Genetics and Zoology at the University of Pretoria in South Africa before moving to the Netherlands, where she has been working as a writer and editor since 2022. One thing she loves more than creating content is consuming it, mainly by reading books by the dozen. Other than being a book dragon, she is also a nature lover and enjoys hiking and animal training. Read more