After graduating from the humanistic grammar school in Lörrach and completing military service, he studied veterinary medicine at the universities of Giessen and Munich. Doctorate with summa cum laude.

Subsequently assistant at the Institute for Diseases of Domestic and Wild Poultry at LMU Munich. Specialist veterinarian for zoo, enclosure and wild animals Specialist veterinarian for anaesthesiology (specialising in remote immobilisation). Inventor of the "Hellabrunner mixture". Specialist veterinarian for zoo animals, ornamental birds and pigeons. From 1972 to 2009, employed at Munich's Hellabrunn Zoo as zoo veterinarian, board member and chairman of the board.

In 1987, he was appointed honorary professor. In 1998, he was awarded the Felix Wankel Animal Welfare Prize.

2006 Awarded the Federal Cross of Merit.

2010 "Munich shines" in gold. His area of expertise is animal-friendly remote immobilisation, for which he developed the blowpipe system to practical maturity.

As a research assistant, he has been involved in international nature conservation programmes: Alpine ibex/Hohe Tauern National Park, Austria; jaguar/Venezuela; marmoset / Brazil; orangutan / Kalimantan; Przewalski's wild horse / Kazakhstan; Mhorr gazelle and bald ibis / Morocco; African wild dog/Zimbabwe.

Scientific Advisory Board of the German Game Park Association (Deutscher Wildgehege Verband e.V.) and Scientific Advisory Board of the Association for the Promotion of Aurochs Breeding (Verein zur Förderung der Auerochsenzucht (VFA) e.V.)

Author of two internationally renowned and award-winning specialist books: "Do animals need to brush their teeth?" Translated into 10 foreign languages, winner of 2 awards: Book of Science 2005, Ragazzi Award Bologna 2006, "The Big Book of Animals", translated into 8 foreign languages.

Regular popular science contributions for BR radio and television. Lectureships at the Faculty of Biology and Veterinary Medicine at LM University Munich. Bibliography available on request.

Curriculum Vitae

Born on 2 January 1956 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
German-Swiss dual citizen, married to
Manuela Dalle Carbonare, four children

Education

1975 Completed apprenticeship as electrical engineer, Siemens AG, Germany
1985 Degree in veterinary medicine, University of Giessen, Germany
1986 Doctorate in veterinary medicine, University of Giessen, Germany
2000 Habilitation in zoo and wildlife medicine, University of Giessen, Germany
2006 Appointed adjunct professor, University of Giessen, Germany
2011 MAS in philosophy and management, University of Lucerne, Switzerland

Work Experience

1986–1988 University of Giessen, Germany, research assistant
1988–1997 Frankfurt Zoo, Germany, zoo veterinarian, deputy director from 1994
2007 Acting director of Frankfurt Zoo, Germany
1997 Director of Bern Animal Park, Switzerland
2009 President of the Competence Centre for Wildlife Management
2017-2021 Member of the Board of ZOOSCHWEIZ

Publications

Scientific publications:
18 contributions to textbooks,
47 to journals, 59 to conference proceedings
Other publications: Editor of UHU, columns in daily newspapers,
lectures and media information
2016 Brochure: Species-appropriate wildlife husbandry? KWH, Zurich
2019 Book: Mensch, Tier. (Humans, Animals.) Published by Werd Verlag, Thun, on the alienation of humans and animals

Miscellaneous

1993 Bison project in Belarus
1994 Monitor lizard project in Australia
1995 Rhino project in Tanzania
2011 Awarded the Bern Civic Medal, BGB
2012 Awarded the Bern Communication Prize, BPRG
Since 2013 Travel guide for wildlife tours (background) Galapagos, Amazon, Pantanal, Uganda, Komodo, Uganda, Congo
Since 2017 Member of the Animal Welfare Commission of the Canton of Bern