enclosure
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enclosure
A fenced outdoor area where animals are kept, especially in a zoo, wildlife park, or on a farm.
Im Zoo leben die Löwen in einem großen Gehege mit Felsen und einem kleinen Wassergraben.
At the zoo, the lions live in a large enclosure with rocks and a small moat.
enclosure
Historically or in a hunting context, a fenced-off section of forest used for keeping and protecting wild animals.
Der Förster kontrollierte den Zaun des Wildgeheges, um sicherzustellen, dass die Hirsche nicht entkommen konnten.
The forester checked the fence of the game enclosure to make sure the deer could not escape.
The word is derived from the verb 'hegen' (to care for, to protectively fence in). The prefix 'Ge-' forms a noun here, as it often does in German, describing a whole or a result. A 'Gehege' (enclosure) is therefore literally a 'gehegter' (tended/protected), that is, fenced-in area.
Die Tiere werden in einem speziell für sie gehegten Areal gehalten.
The animals are kept in an area specially enclosed for them.
Pay attention to the prepositions and the case: Movement toward an enclosure is expressed with 'in' + accusative ('ins Gehege' — into the enclosure). Staying in that place is described with 'in' + dative ('im Gehege' — in the enclosure).
Ein junger Affe kletterte neugierig ins Gehege der Gorillas.
A young monkey curiously climbed into the gorillas' enclosure.
Common compounds are 'Wildgehege' (game enclosure/wildlife enclosure) or 'Freigehege' (outdoor enclosure). Typical verbs used with 'Gehege' (enclosure) are 'ein Gehege bauen' (to build an enclosure), 'Tiere in einem Gehege halten' (to keep animals in an enclosure), or 'aus dem Gehege ausbrechen' (to break out of the enclosure).
Der Zoo plant, ein neues, größeres Gehege für die Elefanten zu bauen.
The zoo is planning to build a new, larger enclosure for the elephants.
cage
Käfig and Gehege both refer to a confined place where animals are kept. A Käfig is usually a small, fully enclosed structure made of bars or wire mesh; a Gehege is more often a larger outdoor area. Use Käfig for the container and Gehege for the animal's living area.
Die Rehe liefen im großen Gehege des Wildparks umher.
The deer wandered around in the wildlife park's large enclosure.
Der Tierarzt setzte den verletzten Vogel vorsichtig in einen kleinen Käfig.
The vet carefully placed the injured bird in a small cage.
