Zoopark Chomutov Zoopark Chomutov

The row of bird of prey aviaries near second zoopark entrance got repaired, merged together and visually upgraded. Number of bird species decreased - owls and Steller´s sea eagles moved out.

Currently, it has 4 aviaries with following species on show:
- bearded vulture (pair)
- Eurasian griffon vulture (pair with chick from last year)
- peregrine falcon
- saker falcon

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Yellow-throated martens have 1 cub (3 weeks old). Vinicity of their exhibit is blocked-off for visitors temporarily. The second marten pair that usually lives nearby was moved off-show.

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Transcaspian urials have two fresh sets of twins (3 males and 1 female).

Following bird species have chicks:
white stork (a captive pair as well as wild pair), cattle eggret, black-crowned night heron, mandarin duck, Iberian azure-winged magpie, Asian azure-winged magpie, Eurasian hoopoe, grey-backed thrush, African collared dove, European turtle dove, Senegal laughing dove, white-crested kalij pheasant, little owl, barn owl, Eurasian scops owl, great grey owl and white-naped crane.

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The zoopark director has been taken by police into custody yesterday. Manipulated public tenders for construction works in exchange for kickbacks.

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Does anyon know if the Eurosafari is open even in winter time?
I couldn't find the answer anywhere on their site.
 
Mickey said:
Does anyon know if the Eurosafari is open even in winter time?
I couldn't find the answer anywhere on their site.
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It´s closed.

The Safari Express rides only take place in the summer season, which starts with Earth Day (22th April) and ends with Animal Day (4th October). With exception of high summer months (July, August), Express only runs on weekends. Rides always start at 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00. (I cite the HP)
 
Aaaah I see, too late then, but are some of the animals included in the Eurosafari visible from the paths?
 
Mickey said:
Aaaah I see, too late then, but are some of the animals included in the Eurosafari visible from the paths?
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I think maybe from certain spots from a public path that runs along the outside zoopark perimeter, but I´ve never tried so can´t help in this.

Eurosafari is a pen that has 30 hectares and keeps just common hoofstock species in low numbers - wisent, mouflon, local red deer, highland cattle, yaks. I don´t think you will lose much if you just leave that part out, their last saiga died 20 years ago. Wisents are present also elsewhere in the zoopark, in a separate pen.

The zoopark itself covers large area and offers hardly any shelter from elements. Wear good shoes, consider raincoat. Skansen/Stará ves area has just a few domestics, visit it only if you have spare time. Restaurant Tajga has decent food, plus you can find few jellyfish tanks in the same building. And say hallo to wolverine cubs, when they are active they are absolute menace.
 
Czech wether has taught me that unless you're omniscient, boots should always stay on:p.

I've already done 2 zoo visits in wet shoes, never again:D.
 
The zoopark has a new director. Tomáš Ondrášek - educated economist, was a library director for 15 years and an journalist recently. Has ZERO zoo experience or nature related education.
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I have no idea what it means for Chomutov. But probably nothing nice regarding its animal collection. Why does an EAZA-member zoo get such unexperienced director? I bet he has no idea EAZA or EEPs even exist... The curse of municipal-owned organsiations where appointment is done probably more along political lines than suitability.
 
Jana said:
I have no idea what it means for Chomutov. But probably nothing nice regarding its animal collection. Why does an EAZA-member zoo get such unexperienced director? I bet he has no idea EAZA or EEPs even exist... The bane of municipal-owned organsiations where appointment is done probably more along political lines than suitability.
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You don't need to be municipally owned to make strange choices. We have some special ones as well in the Netherlands, the 2 following zoos are managed as independent foundations. Artis' current director came from McKinsey, so has 0 biology background, but they have a very capable head of the zoological department, which means that their collection is improving again in recent years. Overall Artis is going strong though, so background isn't everything and as Artis doesn't get any meaningful subsidies, some economic background is a plus to make ends meet....

But the current Diergaarde Blijdorp director has a background as a high school manager and his appearance isn't exactly inspiring, nor is the recent direction of the zoo. His main qualification seems to be that he came from the same city....
 
Jana said:
The zoopark has a new director. Tomáš Ondrášek - educated economist, was a library director for 15 years and an journalist recently. Has ZERO zoo experience or nature related education.
Source

I have no idea what it means for Chomutov. But probably nothing nice regarding its animal collection. Why does an EAZA-member zoo get such unexperienced director? I bet he has no idea EAZA or EEPs even exist... The curse of municipal-owned organsiations where appointment is done probably more along political lines than suitability.
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I better visit before they make drastic changes to the collection!
 
Jana said:
The zoopark has a new director. Tomáš Ondrášek - educated economist, was a library director for 15 years and an journalist recently. Has ZERO zoo experience or nature related education.

I have no idea what it means for Chomutov. But probably nothing nice regarding its animal collection. Why does an EAZA-member zoo get such unexperienced director? I bet he has no idea EAZA or EEPs even exist... The curse of municipal-owned organsiations where appointment is done probably more along political lines than suitability.
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I agree and it's amazing to see high-profile zoos hire people without any prior knowledge. However, I own the book Heart of the Zoo: How San Diego Zoo Director Chuck Bieler Earned His Stripes (Diamant, 2022) and it's a rather extraordinary tale of how Bieler didn't even know the difference between a Lion and a Tiger! He worked at General Motors selling cars and then one thing led to another and he spent 50 years helping run the two big San Diego zoos. In the book, he fully admits that for the first few years in San Diego he had no idea what half the names were for the animals under his care, because he was managing people and the business side of things and let the curators do their jobs.

I've personally met zoo directors who know far less about anything zoological than any of the well-known zoo nerds on this site. One American zoo director had a debate with me that the city of Berlin could only realistically have one big zoo and when I pulled out my iPhone and showed him the website and map of Tierpark Berlin he admitted that he'd never even heard of the place. How is that possible? These days, folks are running AZA zoos and they used to be realtors or work in a bank, or god knows what. It's really incredible but true. The job has become more about running a vast staff and having the ability to manage everyone, and also to raise enormous amounts of money. Whether you know that Berlin has maybe the best two zoos on the planet is irrelevant. ;)
 
Jana said:
I have no idea what it means for Chomutov. But probably nothing nice regarding its animal collection. Why does an EAZA-member zoo get such unexperienced director? I bet he has no idea EAZA or EEPs even exist...
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This is incredibly far-fetched and doomsaying...
 
Well, even a person with little to no experience with zoos may became good or at least ok director...
On the other hand, city and whole region is sometimes depicted as hotbed of corruption and populism - and this stereotype, I am affraid, isn´t without at least some base in reality (just look how ended former director...) Scepticism about anything involving local municipality is thus somehow understandable to me...
 
Jana said:
The start of Amur tiger exhibit construction got pushed back. It wont start this year but probably in 2025. Total construction area is 4000 m2. It should be located in slope next to terrarium house.

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It is confirmed that tiger enclosure construction got cancelled due to lack of funds.

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