Tour programmes at Berlin Zoo for people with dementia are helping them feel part of society and even jogging happy childhood memories
Christel Krueger stared in awe at a mother hippopotamus and its offspring sleeping on a sandbar through the thick glass and murky water of their enclosure at the Berlin Zoo.
Krueger, 86, and her daughter were on a specialised zoo tour in March for people with dementia that was organised by Malteser Berlin, part of the international Catholic aid organisation The Sovereign Order of Malta.
On the tour with Krueger, Ingrid Barkow watched from her wheelchair as the elephants roamed their habitat, while Monika Jansen balanced on her tiptoes to get a better view of a rhinoceros.
“When I get home, I’ll still be thinking about it,” said Jansen, 85. “Maybe even at night, while I’m sleeping and dreaming about it.”
The three women are among roughly 1.6 million people with dementia in Germany, according to the country’s Office of the National Dementia Strategy. The figure is expected to rise to 2.8 million by 2050.
Worldwide, an estimated 55-57 million people have dementia. That is expected to rise to 139-152 million by 2050 due to an ageing population.