Tail tuft is a characteristic feature of lions (Panthera leo).It consists of a tuft of fur at the tip of their tail, often concealing a small, hard spine-like structure. The tail tuft is unique among big cats and is believed to serve various purposes, such as:
● Signaling: Lions may use their tail tufts for visual communication within their pride, especially during hunting or social interactions.
● Swatting insects: Like other mammals, the tuft can help in shooing away flies and other insects.
Besides its practical functions for the lion, the tail tuft has also been targeted in poaching and the illegal wildlife trade, sold for decorative or symbolic purposes, thus raising ethical concerns over the exploitation of wildlife.
The most famous tail tuft in the Tierpark Berlin, belongs to one of the lions from the Kaiser Wilhelm I monument, created by August Gaul between 1892-1897.
“Originally created for the National Monument to Emperor Wilhelm I, projected in 1889 and inaugurated in 1897, by Reinhold Begas, his students, and the architect Gustav Halmhuber. Modeled under the direction of Reinhold Begas by August Gaul and August Kraus. Cast in the foundry of Walter and Paul Gladenbeck in Friedrichshagen near Berlin. In 1950, it was dismantled under the supervision of Hans Füssel on behalf of the SED authorities. Apart from the architectural base with mosaic coverings and a few remnants of the sculptures (including an eagle by Gaul, now in the possession of the Berlin City Museum Foundation), the monument was destroyed.
The four lion figures, stripped of their trophies and granite pedestals, have been located at their current site in the Tierpark since 1963. In the groups of two lions each, the front lion was created by August Gaul and the rear one by August Kraus. Former Tierpark Director Heinrich Dathe provided a detailed account of the artistic ornamentation of the Tierpark, particularly regarding the lion groups. Reflecting the interpretation of imperial-era art at the time, he wrote:
‘A few steps further, we encounter two colossal bronze groups, about which much has been written and even more said. I owe the reference to these animals to Chief Building Inspector Bodo Küttler, a very dedicated Berlin monument conservator of his time, to whom the Tierpark owes much. The four lions originally stood around the pedestal of a war-glorifying monument in front of Berlin’s palace and faced the four cardinal directions. Symbolically, their postures expressed the attitude of the government of that era toward the neighboring countries. After the war, the monument was dismantled, the lions taken apart, and their pieces stored in the courtyard of the current Museum of German History [Zeughaus Unter den Linden 1, now the German Historical Museum]. One of my first actions was to bring the disassembled figures to the park, where they lay for years until we found suitable spots for these imposing figures [after they were spared from melting down at the initiative of Hans Füssel]. This time came in 1963 with the opening of the Alfred Brehm House. The animals originally stood on various war paraphernalia like weapons, cuirasses, ammunition baskets, and cannon barrels. All of this was removed and used as valuable material for other statues. First, the western group was erected, and it was discovered that one lion’s tail was missing.
We cast a new one. Twice it was broken off by children swinging on it, until we finally inserted a steel rod. Incidentally, it turned out that the tail was not lost as scrap metal after the war—pre-war photos show that this important attribute for a cat was already missing at that time. Later, we assembled the eastern group. Both groups flank key access paths to the Alfred Brehm House. Amusingly, when all parts were installed, a paw remained. We don’t know where it belongs, as our animals have their full 16 paws. So, we’ll use it for future casting.’
Dathe also cited a 1899 publication from Leipzig, Living Pictures from the Animal Kingdom by zoo director Ludwig Heck, who commented on the four lions from the Kaiser Wilhelm I National Monument:
Our ‘monument lion’ was imported from Delagoa Bay (…) Our Transvaal lion was a very large and strong, yet slender and elegant animal, not too heavily maned and free of shoulder markings. Because of this, he was the favorite of sculptors, with a modeling block rarely absent from in front of his cage. He has thus achieved ‘immortality’ as the model for the four lions at Begas’s Kaiser Wilhelm Monument. Here, Gaul and Kraus created, in my opinion, the finest lions sculpted to date.
Even Dathe criticized the fact that, in his opinion, the Tierpark’s most artistically valuable bronze sculptures were constantly climbed by visitors, despite prohibition signs and thorny bushes planted to deter them, causing repeated damage. Accordingly, the condition of the sculptures, particularly the eastern group, is poor.”
Source:
Kuhn, Jörg. “Löwen-Gruppe II” Bildhauerei in Berlin (BiB), an information platform for sculptural and artistic works in Berlin; https://bildhauerei-in-berlin.de/bildwerk/loewen-gruppe-i-4771/. Accessed January 3, 2025.
