BERLIN (AP) — A zoo in the German city of Nuremberg said it killed 12 baboons on Tuesday despite protests, capping a saga rooted in concerns that the zoo had too little space to house a growing group of the animals.

The Tiergarten Nürnberg Zoo first announced plans to kill baboons it didn’t have space for in February 2024. It has said that it examined offers to take in some of the animals but was unable to make any of them work.

The plans drew criticism from animal rights groups. They also drew protests at the zoo, which said on Monday that it would have to start preparing to kill baboons. On Tuesday morning, it announced that it was closing for the day for unspecified “operational reasons.”

On Tuesday afternoon, police said several activists forced their way into the grounds, a few of them gluing themselves to the ground before being detained.

Shortly afterward, the zoo said it had killed 12 baboons, German news agency dpa reported. Further details weren’t immediately available. Animal rights groups said they planned to file a criminal complaint.