- Campus
- 07/05/2025
Egbert relocated successfully and in good health
More than two hours had been scheduled for the relocation of Eindhoven’s most famous koi carp, Egbert, but it barely took an hour to complete the entire process. The fish was quickly caught, found to be healthy, and is now enjoying a large home in the Blauwe Loper, the long pond on the north side of the campus.
On Wednesday morning, Egbert senses that something is about to happen. He makes his way to his favorite corner of the Atlas pond, also because he notices there’s koi food to be had there.
Koi expert Marco Zegers, who had previously come to check on Egbert and the condition of the Atlas pond, is also there this morning. He will move the fish, estimated to weigh around 7 kilograms and measure around 45 centimeters, to his new home. He does the job together with Tom Stinckens, who has brought a large drag net. “This will be used to catch him as humanely as possible and cause him minimal stress.”
Luxury transport
Luxury transport has been arranged for Egbert, with water around his gills at all times. A special koi sock is used to this end: a kind of bag in which the fish swims and which is sealed with water until he is placed in a bucket of water for examination and transport. He is then put back in the koi sock and finally released into the Blauwe Loper. There he will meet his friends.
The move went faster than expected. The first attempt to catch the fish was successful, he appears to be healthy, and the release went smoothly.
Many people like to take a look in the Atlas pond during their lunch break to spot Egbert. “Will we still be able to recognize him with all the other fish around?” is a frequently asked question. They don’t need to worry about that. “Egbert looks really different from the other fish,” Zegers assures us. “He has a single, metallic color. If you pay attention to that, you can easily see the difference.”
Reunion
Not a lot of people know this, but Egbert has had a kind of reunion in the Blauwe Loper. Recently, several other carp that had been in the pond at De Zwarte Doos were released here. These fish most likely came from the former Paviljoen pond, along with Egbert.
Will he recognize his friends? “He may join the other fish or continue on his own,” says Zegers. “It’s too early to tell.”
Stinckens: “Egbert will be exploring the area over the next few days.” Zegers nods. “Developing new habits, creating new swimming routes. Well, and then you’ll just have to observe him to see if he’s often accompanied by his friends while swimming around.”
Discussion