Nuremberg Zoo plans to cull individuals from its troop of baboons to manage the population and to counter inbreeding, director Dag Encke announced in the southern German city on Thursday.
The troop had become too large and inbred, resulting in problems with the gene pool and social structures, Enke said.
Sending the animals to other zoos, whether in Germany or abroad, was not an option, he said. Nor was rewilding.
The zoo has sent a proposal to the city council, and Encke is to follow up with an explanation the week after next with the aim of initiating a public discussion.