An overview of the ten most important events of the year in the Zoo
Searching for children from photography and 60 000 000th visitor to Prague Zoo
In 1975, the Prague Zoo welcomed its 25,000,000 visitor. The historical picture of this event at the beginning of 2017 became the inspiration for the campaign "We are looking for children from photography" . It was really successful and the start of the high season 2017 was in a retro style that recalled 1975 and the years immediately preceding. It was the time when the international prestige of the Prague Zoo began to grow. Shortly after the start of the high season 2017, a total of 60,000,000 visitors arrived at the Prague Zoo. Vlastimil Čermák from Prague became Vlastimil.
Cheetah paterčata
On Monday, May 15, the cheetah of Savannah gave birth to five young boys - three males and two females. For the six-year-old Savannah, who comes from the Colchester Zoo, he was the second litter; the father of the young is Ben, a five-year-old male from the Danish Ebeltoft. One of the youngsters was younger than the others, but the bred succeeded all. The Prague Zoo has been keeping cheetahs since 1933 and 64 of their youngs were born there.
Preparation of the construction of new pavilions
In the first half of the year, architectural competitions took place, setting out the new exhibition of Polar Arctic Arcade and the Great Pandas Pavilion. He has also made progress in preparing a very necessary new gorilla pavilion. Firstly, the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic was dismissed as an unjustified rejection of the Prague-Troja district and two associations against the construction of this pavilion. Subsequently, the Prague-Troja District Court filed a lawsuit, but it was withdrawn again after the court had not decided on the interim measure. Building permits can be expected in the near future.
Additions to sea lions
On Friday, May 26th, the 14th Crested Newborn Cub from the Prague Zoo was born: male Nelson. His parents are fourteen-year-old Abeba and fifteen-year-old Melon. On the contrary, their previous cub, the two-year-old Mamut, who had moved to Memleben in Germany at the end of August, had to leave. Finally, on September 11, two-year-old Daisy arrived in Prague from the Danish Jyllands Park Zoo.
Natural breeding of palm cockatoo
The only young cow palm bred in 2017 in European zoos and the very first naturally bred breeding of this species in the Czech and Slovak zoos hatched on April 20th. It is a female that will inhabit the newly built Rákos Pavilion. It is interesting that the parents of the young were confiscated as illegally kept animals by the Czech Environmental Inspectorate and later transferred to the Prague Zoo.
Exhibition of wineglasses
An extraordinary interest of visitors awakened an exhibition of sixty species of goblins, which began on 9 September and continued until the last weekend in October. She also introduced very rare or newly discovered species of wineglasses, the largest of which had the diameter of the dinner plate with its legs stretched out. The exhibition, supplemented by expert interpretations, was the first step in the effort to dedicate more attention to invertebrate animals at the Prague Zoo.
New construction and improvement of the zoo area
In 2017, a new building of technical background was built and approved in the upper part of the zoo, replacing old workshops in the flood plain. The reconstruction of the Gaston restaurant, which will be opened at the start of the 2018 high season, was completed and the construction of the Rákos pavilion, which was already planted with vegetation, continued. There were new benches and trash bins all over the zoo, many paths, etc., etc.,
We help survive other endangered species
As in previous years, air transport of Prevalski horses took place in the Great Gobi B Strictly Protected Area in Mongolia. Other projects continued, such as the Busy Bus in Cameroon, support for the protection of gavials in India, or rescue efforts in the Balkans, where the Zoo of Prague also provided a local off-road vehicle to local nature conservationists. Of the new activities, at least support should be given to the protection of critically endangered Saudi Mongolians, which in the beginning of 2017 affected the plague of small ruminants.
"Donation machines"
Since August, visitors to the Prague Zoo have been able to help save four endangered species - Prevalski horses, lowland gorillas, Indian gavillas and laolas - through five special payment terminals. It is provided by MasterCard and visitors can choose what kind, how, and how much they will contribute. Prague Zoo does not only realize a number of in-situ projects in Africa, Asia and Europe, but also tries to set an example in its area.
Exceptional youngsters of the Maltese tiger
On Tuesday 3rd October, the eleven-year-old female Tanya Malay Banya gave birth to two young, female and male. Their father is a ten-year-old male Johann. The breeding of these two youngsters, named Bulan and Wanita, is the result of many years of effort. Reproduction of extremely rare Malay tigers is associated with many difficulties; inter alia, it is difficult to compile compatible pairs. Only two European zoos have been able to boast of these tigers, most recently in 2013.
Prague Zoo thanks to all who have contributed to her success and to those who just love her!
Source: tz Zoo Praha
Photo: M. Bobek, Prague Zoo