Obituary Dr. med. vet. Jürg Völlm

(17.03.1939-20.03.2020)

When Jürg Völlm, my predecessor as zoo veterinarian, took me on a first round to the Zoo Basel in April 2002, it already happened after a few meters: The crowd of the crab-eating macaques realized that I will be the “new one”. From this moment, I was welcomed with alarm calls and grumbling noises, even when I passed their enclosure alone. Also with other animals, Jürg knew how to get attention with his special kind of affection, sometimes amiably teasing. From afar he called out to the Hawaiian geese at the lower pond, "Highwaymen!", whereupon the geese hurried to the bars to defend territory and any offspring against him.

After growing up in Basel, Jürg studied veterinary medicine at the veterinary faculty of the University of Zurich. At that time his semester consisted of a manageable number of seven students. After working as a veterinarian in a large animal practice in eastern Switzerland, Jürg returned to Basel to work as an animal welfare officer in the toxicology and animal husbandry departments at the former Hoffmann-La Roche.

He loved all animals, but he was dedicated especially to elephants: as a schoolboy he worked as an elephant keeper at the Zoo Basel and accompanied the animals on their walks in the suburban forests or to weigh them on the weighbridge in Basel’s old market hall. Jürg was involved when an elephant breeding group was set up in the circus Knie in the 1960s. He was also interested in the life of the gray giants in the wild. Jürg repeatedly traveled to India, Sri Lanka and Africa. Soon, Jürg was an internationally recognized expert in the field of elephant medicine. He was called by various zoos and circuses when an elephant fell ill. The adventurous travel reports of his transport companions of the still largest African bull elephant in Europe "Calimero" from Rome over the Alps to Basel and later to Beekse Bergen in Holland remain unforgettable. For more than 25 years, Jürg Völlm was also a board member and veterinarian at the Tierpark Lange Erlen in Basel, which made him an honorary member. In 2000, Jürg Völlm took over the veterinary deputy of the current zoo director Olivier Pagan at Basel Zoo during his sabbatical and subsequently worked on Mondays until he was 70 years old or took over my deputy as zoo veterinarian in the event of absence. Up to the age of 80, the Zoo Basel could count on his loyal service as a guide for exciting zoo tours. Jürg was very committed, a patient teacher and speaker who conveyed joy and respect for the animal world to countless people, from apprentice zookeepers to firefighters, always with a wink and a pinch of mischief.

Another hobby of Jürg was computer technology, especially that of databases. He spent countless hours with Olivier Pagan to convert the veterinary card system into a digital solution. A Herculean task for which an army of software developers would be necessary today! Later he meticulously checked the medical histories of the zoo animals, which were electronically recorded by me and Stefan Hoby, for inconsistencies. Jürg was a computer freak from the very beginning.

Jürg Völlm died on March 20, 2020 after a short, serious illness. He leaves behind his wife Elsbeth and two sons. We miss him as a steadfast, helpful and lovable person, as a committed zoo and animal expert, but also as a personal friend and mentor. We will keep him in honor and extend our warm condolences to his family and loved ones.


Christian Wenker, 16. February 2021