Pedro Trebbau (born Karl Peter Trebbau Millowitsch; 20 May 1929 – 16 January 2021) was a German-born Venezuelan zoologist. His career was characterized by the promotion and preservation of Venezuelan wildlife and nature. His research and collaboration with the

herpetologist Herpetology (from Ancient Greek ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning "reptile" or "creeping animal") is a branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, salamanders, and caecilians (Gymnophiona)) and reptiles (in ...

Peter Pritchard Peter Charles Howard Pritchard (June 26, 1943 – February 25, 2020) was a leading turtle zoologist. Pritchard was educated at Oxford University and the University of Florida, where he received a Ph.D. and specialized in Zoology. He was most com ...

produced the still-extant reference book on

The Turtles of Venezuela ''The Turtles of Venezuela'' is an identification guide of the Testudines families that are found in Venezuela, written by zoologist Pedro Trebbau and herpetologist Peter Pritchard. It was originally published in English in 1984, by the Society ...

, the 2018 re-edition of which, alongside the biography done on him entitled ''Trebbau: Maestro por naturaleza'' by Albor Rodríguez, sparked the series '' Colección La Fauna'', which aimed to collect Trebbau's work on the fauna of Venezuela.

Biography

Trebbau was born in

Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

, where he very early on showed a keen interest in the natural world. He obtained a bachelor's degree in biology at the universities of

Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...

and

Freiburg Freiburg im Breisgau or simply Freiburg is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fourth-largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, Mannheim and Karlsruhe. Its built-up area has a population of abou ...

, as well as a veterinary degree from the

University of Giessen University of Giessen, official name Justus Liebig University Giessen (), is a large public research university in Giessen, Hesse, Germany. It is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the German-speaking world. It is named afte ...

. He arrived in Venezuela in 1953 and enrolled at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the

Central University of Venezuela Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

(UCV), based in Maracay, Aragua. Shortly afterwards he decided to remain in Venezuela, and obtained Venezuelan nationality in 1957.Albor Rodríguez: ''TREBBAU. Maestro por naturaleza''. Venezuela: Ediciones La Fauna KPT, 2018. . His work in Venezuela began as a technical director of El Pinar Zoo, in Caracas. Between 1965 and 1970 he also worked as a professor at the Institute of Tropical Zoology of the UCV. In 1968 he led an expedition and rescue operation in the region of Guayana that protected an estimated 10.000 animals of 53 different species that would have drowned as a result of the construction of the

Guri Dam The Simón Bolívar Hydroelectric Plant, also Guri Dam ( or ''Represa de Guri''), previously known as the Raúl Leoni Hydroelectric Plant, is a concrete gravity and embankment dam in Bolívar State, Venezuela, on the Caroni River, built from 19 ...

.
La operación rescate de fauna y petroglifos
'. Venezuela:

Corporación Venezolana de Guayana The Corporacion Venezolana de Guayana (CVG) is a state-owned Venezuelan metal conglomerate, located in the Guayana Region in the southeast of the country. Its subsidiaries include the steel producer SIDOR, aluminium producers Alcasa, Venalum ...

, 1969. In 1974 Trebbau accomplished the endowment and foundation of the first modern zoo in Venezuela. Later called Caricuao Zoo, it was inaugurated in 1977 and Trebbau remained as its president until 1979. He then worked as the zoo coordinator for the National Parks Institute (Inparques), and as Special Commissioner for the Ministry of Environment. From 1980 to 1983 he was president of the Humboldt Cultural Association. In 1989 he took an active role on the advisory committee for a new Wildlife Law, and in 1991 he became president of the National Foundation of Zoological Parks and Aquariums.Catharine E. Bell, Laura Mizicko, Lester Fisher: ''Encyclopedia of the World's Zoos'' (pág. 1575). UK:

Taylor & Francis Taylor & Francis Group is an international company originating in the United Kingdom that publishes books and academic journals. Its parts include Taylor & Francis, CRC Press, Routledge, F1000 (publisher), F1000 Research and Dovepress. It i ...

, 2001. . Trebbau produced and hosted several TV programs aimed at the dissemination of the knowledge of the local fauna, especially among the younger generations. Among these ''Zoológico Infantil'' (''Children's Zoo''), ''La Fauna'' (''The Wildlife'') and ''Campamento en la Selva'' (''Jungle Camp''), were broadcast by the former National Television-Channel 5 and

Venezolana de Televisión Corporación Venezolana de Televisión (Spanish for: ''Venezuelan Television Corporation'') or VTV is a state-run television station based in Caracas, Venezuela, which can be seen throughout the capital and surrounding areas on channel 8. Programs ...

for several years. His scientific research was widely published in technical journals around the world; but he was most proud of his role as a disseminator of the local knowledge of the fauna to the local population. For him, the entertainment role of zoos was always secondary to its role as an educational and research-producing institution. His research and collaboration with the

produced the still-extant reference book on

. On 16 January 2021, Radio Caracas Radio confirmed his death.

References

External links

*
Official website
*
Yaracuy and its nature; Pedro Trebbau (1981) - YouTube
*
Photographer Karl Weidmann presented by Pedro Trebbau - YouTube

Venezuelan fauna & nature by Pedro Trebbau - Medium
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trebbau, Pedro 1929 births 2021 deaths Scientists from Cologne German emigrants to Venezuela 20th-century Venezuelan biologists Academic staff of the Central University of Venezuela Venezuelan television presenters