Lutz Heck

Who was Lutz Heck?

Ludwig George Heinrich Heck, called Lutz Heck was a German zoologist, animal researcher, an animal book author and director of the large zoo in the German capital city.

Together with his brother Heinz Heck, also a zoologist and director of the largest zoological garden in southern Germany, "Tierpark Hellabrunn" in Münich, he started a selective breeding program, which attempted – based on the knowledge of animal genetics of the time – to "recreate" wild animal species, that are today extinct, from various forms of the domestic animals whose ancestors they were. By their work they created breeds of cattle and horse - later named "Heck cattle" and "Heck horse" respectively, after their creators - that are today seen as not sufficiently similar enough to their ancestors to be called a successful resurrection, although Heinz and Lutz Heck believed to have "resurrected" by their efforts.

During World War II Heck took part in the pillaging of Warsaw Zoo, stealing the most valuable animals and taking them to German zoos.