With the surrender of the zoo permit, 'Het Groene Huis' in Amersfoort is no longer allowed to keep native animals. According to manager Melvin Houtman, this is in practice not a major change for this nature and environmental education center: “We have said goodbye to 2 animal species. ”
Houtman: "The reason for stopping is that having a zoo permit no longer adds much value. And it saves on (paper)work. Visitors won't notice much of a difference compared to how it was before. We can no longer display protected species, so two of our existing species will disappear, and something else will be added. What visitors will notice is that the two aquariums will be redesigned, and there will soon be two beautifully decorated tanks."
Het Groene Huis in Amersfoort is part of the municipality of Amersfoort. In and around Het Groene Huis, there are all sorts of activities related to nature and sustainability. It serves as a knowledge and visitor center for Amersfoort residents and organizations with a green heart.
In the Netherlands, a zoo permit is required for locations that permanently keep more than ten different wild animal species and display them to the public for more than seven days a year. By 2025, there will be 59 locations in the Netherlands with a zoo permit. The top Dutch zoos (13) also collaborate within the Dutch Zoo Association (NVD), where collaboration extends much further (including species conservation and knowledge development).
More information: www.hetgroenehuisamersfoort.nl