Hundreds of thousands of people from around the world have signed two petitions calling on a German zoo to return Bili, a bonobo ape who was being "bullied" by fellow apes, to the United Kingdom.

The petitions, which have gathered more than 400,000 signatures, call on the authorities at the zoo in the western German city of Wuppertal to release Bili to an ape sanctuary in the UK.

Bili was born in the UK in 2008 and was brought to the Wuppertal zoo from Frankfurt last November in the hope of finding him a mate. But his integration into his new home has not gone as per plan.

A short history of German zoos The pandas are coming! Trees for climbing, an artificial river, species-appropriate plants - preparations for Chinese pandas Jiao Qing (pictured) and Meng Meng have been in high gear at Berlin's Zoological Garden. The Panda Plaza is now up and running after the two arrived on a first-class flight from China June 24. Such luxury for animals has not always been the case. Here's a look back at the history of German zoos.

A short history of German zoos Germany's first zoo Professor of zoology Martin Hinrich Lichtenstein was so enthused with the Zoological Garden in London that he wanted to build one himself. In 1841, he was able to convince Friedrich Wilhelm IV to do it. The King of Prussia decreed that some 22 hectares (54 acres) be sectioned off from Berlin's Tiergarten and turned into Germany's first Zoological Garden.

A short history of German zoos The first animals move in By 1845, two coatis, three Arctic foxes, a red jackel, two badgers, 24 monkeys, and three bears from Siberia were living there. In 1846, lions and tigers were moved into their own building. The first elephant came onto the scene in 1857, in 1861 the first zebra. Yet sadly, there was a high animal mortality rate.

A short history of German zoos Vienna as a role model The Schönbrunn Zoo in Vienna took a completely different and much grander approach. In 1906, the first elephant to be conceived in a zoo was born. By 1914, Schönbrunn was one of the largest zoos in the world, with 3,500 animals from 717 species. It became a role model for the Berlin Zoo. Today, Schönbrunn is one of the oldest existing zoos in the world and allegedly the most visited in Europe.

A short history of German zoos Royal park as a predecessor Many zoos sprung up in German-speaking countries in the second half of the 19th century. After Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne, Hamburg, Basel, and Leipzig followed suit. But Prussian King Wilhelm IV had already created his own wildlife park back in 1571, which he used not only for hunting - he also allowed nature researchers to live there.

A short history of German zoos Building conservation versus animal preservation Many compounds, such as this Antelope House in Berlin's Zoological Garden, were built in the 19th century and attempted to reflect the exotic origins of the animals. But as aesthetically appealing as they may have been, they were not always species-appropriate. Still, they cannot be altered because building conservation laws stand in the way.

A short history of German zoos Education and relaxation In the 20th century, zoos popped up all over Germany, and aquariums opened up as well. Monkey parks, ocean parks and bird parks became a craze, and people could even drive their cars or take the bus through safari parks. With the economic boom of the 50s and 60s in Germany, even smaller cities could open zoos or animal parks.

A short history of German zoos Rage in the machine Post-war Germany saw a boom in zoos, with people eager to witness exotic animals. Zoos became living classrooms, but a remotely species-appropriate way of keeping the animals wasn't a priority. Cages and trenches separated lions, tigers and elephants from visitors. It wasn't until the 1970s that research revealed more insight into the psychology of animals, and zoos began altering their designs.

A short history of German zoos Back to nature A milestone in zoo design are panorama areas such as the one Carl Hagenbeck built in Hamburg. Rather than being stuck in cages in a systematic way, animals are kept according to "continents." Lions live near zebras, giraffes, and elephants, for instance, in the "Africa" region of the zoo. Green zones at the Cologne Zoo (pictured) ensure that animals are kept similarly to their natural habitat.

A short history of German zoos The future of zoos Small cages and concrete pens are becoming more and more a thing of the past. Yet how zoos develop in the future depends on smart management. Some zoos, such as in Frankfurt, for instance, have decided to close their elephant houses. As a small zoo in the inner city with just 11 hectares (27 acres), it simply could not provide the animals with enough space.

A short history of German zoos Zoo research Zoos breed species and aim to return them to the wild. They are also involved in environmental conservation and educate visitors about their habitats. But zoo opponents say that to keep certain animals species alive only in zoos is unethical. Instead, focus should be placed on keeping their natural habitats intact. Pictured is a newborn platypus named Mackenzie.

A short history of German zoos Entertainment venues Zoos in Germany get more visitors than sporting events. Nowadays, they're more like entertainment parks with adventure playgrounds, themed restaurants and merry-go-rounds. A little farm at the Cologne Zoo recently opened, where visitors can pet cows and goats. Zoos are now irreplaceable, not only for visitors to reconnect with nature, but also to preserve certain endangered animals. Author: Sabine Oelze (als)



'Vicious bullying'

Bili has yet to be accepted by his fellow inmates, who attack him frequently. His plight was captured in pictures that showed him bleeding with bite wounds with part of his ear missing.

"His (Bili's) new 'zoomates,' twin males Azibo and Ayubu, have decided they want nothing to do with him and have viciously bullied him nonstop," one of the petitions said.

The zoo has refuted claims of bullying. It says aggression is common during the integration process, especially in the case of male bonobos.

"Bonobos are often portrayed as extremely peace-loving. This is wrong," Wuppertal Zoo Director Arne Lawrenz told DW. "They often get into quarrels — no matter if they live in the wild or in zoos. This can lead to injuries such as bitten fingers and ears."

Lawrenz said the aggression against Bili had decreased and the ape was more relaxed in the presence of the dominant female.

Females are known to be the dominant ones among bonobo groups. Along with chimpanzees, bonobos are humans' closest relatives with close to 99 percent of their genomes in common.

Welsh adoption offer

A Welsh monkey and ape sanctuary on Tuesday offered to adopt Bili. But Wuppertal zoo officials rejected the offer, saying the sanctuary had no experience dealing with bonobos.

"Zoo officials still think there is a chance Bili can be integrated into the community of his fellow chimps but others aren't so sure," the petition said.

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