Thousands of animals are to be given a more modern home in a large aquarium in Constance. But before that, rays, sharks and the like have to move – which isn’t easy for a number of reasons.
Constance (dpa/lsw) – Due to a comprehensive renovation, thousands of animals from the large Sea Life aquarium in Constance have to move to temporary quarters. The move began in mid-August, a spokesman for the aquarium said on Wednesday. The animals would find a new home at home and abroad. The lively gentoo penguins were taken to Brest, France, while the black pacus from the Amazon region will spend the winter in Odense, Denmark. At the end of the week, among other things, the last animals are to be picked up from Konstanz with the striped sea wolves.
The move is challenging for a number of reasons, the spokesman said. On the one hand, the aquarium first had to find suitable quarters for rays, sharks and the like. The aquarium therefore began planning for this years ago. During the move itself, the employees have to make sure that the animals are subjected to as little stress as possible, that the time in small transport boxes on the way to the truck is kept as short as possible and that the marine animals are left out in the air as little as possible.
So far, however, everything has worked perfectly, the spokesman emphasized. As soon as all the animals have moved, the basic renovation of the large aquarium on Lake Constance should begin. It is the first since it opened in 1999. “We will mainly renew the technical areas and our engine rooms behind the scenes,” said the Sea Life spokesman. This also includes a new system for maintaining optimal water quality for the animals.
The large aquarium will remain closed during the renovation. The reopening is planned for spring 2023 – after the animals have made their second move.
