Prague Zoo Praha Prague Zoo News 2024

I remember it being mentioned by @Jana in my review thread that the bit you see of the Amur Leopard enclosure is just one of four interconnected spaces, designed as part of a breeding complex. Given that the zoo is now down to just one male leopard, then presumably, unless the plan is to import more, some of those enclosures won't be used, so could provide sufficient offshow areas to keep cats as big as Pumas while they await construction of a new one. Members more familiar with Prague may have other ideas, but if this isn't where they are already being kept, then it could be a good option should they need to remain offshow for a long time. This would mean the zoo and the pumas can afford to wait a while for a new enclosure to be constructed - there is no need to phase out a current inhabitant (or cut the fossa space in half, because as I understand it, they have access to *both* the former leopard and cloudie enclosures) and fit them into an existing enclosure. A new, devoted enclosure can be constructed, and I can't imagine it being anywhere near out-of-budget for Prague, however high-quality they intend it to be.

On a side-note, Jana, where do you get the list of births and arrivals from? Is it public (I've searched the website and socials for it but had no success) or a private update for members of sorts? Either way, I wish my local zoos were as informative. And as usual, thanks for the excellent and comprehensive updates.
 
Kalaw said:
On a side-note, Jana, where do you get the list of births and arrivals from? Is it public (I've searched the website and socials for it but had no success) or a private update for members of sorts? Either way, I wish my local zoos were as informative. And as usual, thanks for the excellent and comprehensive updates.
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Sorry, I was a bit lazy to link the same source every month (that doesnt excuse my failure to provide it).
Source - public list of births and arrivals sorted by month

EDIT: after some mulling over, I agree with you that the empty cages in Amur leopard complex is the most probable place for the new pumas to stay. However, the zoo havent indicated it plans to build a new puma enclosure so far. Thus their future is an enigma for me.
 
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A group of 2.2 Tasmanian devils of breedable age is expected to arrive next month from Tasmania.
Source

A new wisent pen has been constructed on 10 hectares of land in Dolní Počernice (eastern suburbs of Prague). This land belongs to the municipality and might be enlarged by another 5ha in next years. Municipality built the pen including two look-out posts for visitors. The zoo will provide the animals (probably a 1,4 group or so) in spring 2025 and will be responsible for their care. The reason is to graze the empty land in such a way it doesn´t overgrow into a close-canopy forest and enhances its openfield insect bodiversity - especially for quickly dissappearing local species of butterflies. The zoo won´t phase out wisents from its own areal (where wisents are continuosly kept since 1948), this will be just additional holding capacity.
Source

The zoo runs one similar project already - a 19-hectares Przewalski horse pen in Dívčí Hrady (SW district of Prague city). Browsing wild horses keep open steppe enviroment intact in sustainable way, the zoo gained additional holding capacity to prepaire horses before repatriations in Asia and locals have got new popular spot for afternoon strolls with kids.
 
Oh I was already wondering if this plan wasn´t scrapped, didn´t hear of it for some time...
Jana said:
The zoo won´t phase out wisents from its own areal (where wisents are continuosly kept since 1948)
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Thats totally new information for me
I wonder how and if that affect any future plans regarding rhinos
 
xmoose said:
Thats totally new information for me
I wonder how and if that affect any future plans regarding rhinos
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I don't think there is any corellation or causality between "Wisents will stay" and "there will be rhinos". The way I see it, the statement is more or less just saying that Wisents don't dissappear from the zoo immediately after the reserve in Počernice will be finished.

FWIW, rhinos are question of next 5+ years so plenty of time for Wisents to be there.
 
Does anyone know if the zoo still have the chacoan mara and white striped dorcopsis? And where are they in the zoo please? Thanks.
 
The zoo decreases its ticket price for Christmas time (period between 23rd Dec and 3rd January) - all tickets for just 100 czk (€4) per person. However you can´t buy them for this price online. You have to buy it at cash desk at zoo entry. All 4 zoo entrances are open during this time.
Source
 
The largest Chinese giant salamander on show - Karlo - has died (RIP) after longer time of chronic illness. He was 161 cm long and had 38,8 kg at his death, he arrived 2014 from Kalsruhe. He was replaced in the main tank by another male giant salamader - Šmíca, who arrived from Schmiding and is 141 cm long and weights 32 kg.

Source
 
November list of arrivals is online.

- 1.0 Nothern talapoin monkey from Cordoba (new breeding male for the small group in Dja gorilla pavilion)
- 0.1 chestnut-backed ground-thrush (Geokichla dohertyi) from Chester
- 2.0 collared trogon from Chester
- 1.0 Javan green magpie from Chester
- 1.0 Cabot´s tragopan from TP Berlin
- 1.0 cinereous vulture from TP Berlin (a bird hatched in 2024, already on show in the big vulture aviary together with 8 other cinereous vultures, it´s a dating aviary where birds can chose future life partner once they mature, and then he will be shipped out to his final zoo together with his gf)
- 1.3 white-browed laughingthrush (Pterorhinus sannio) from unnamed breeding station - new species for Prague, should land in Secuan house eventually
- 0.0.1 white-crested laughingthrush (Garrulax leucolophus diardi) from unnamed breeding station
- 4.4.4 little rock frog (Staurois parvus) from Vienna zoo - new species
- 0.0.2 Asiatic softshelled turtle (Amyda cartilaginea maculosa) from Vienna zoo - new species, will probably stay backstage for a few years as I understand those are tiny fresh babies
- 0.0.1 Wallace's flying frog (Rhacophorus nigropalmatus) from Vienna zoo - ZTL lists arrival of 0.0.100 so no idea what figure is right or wrong, but if they are intended to live freely in Indonesian Jungle the second figure makes more sense
- 0.1 wild horse from La Grotte de Han in Belgium, probably to be shipped to Kazakhstan next spring
- 2.3 African marsh owl (Asio capensis) from Monticello - new species
- 3.1 spotted wood owl (Strix seloputo) from Monticello - new species, I loved them in Zlin so Im happy when they eventually get on show in Prague too
- 1.2 Buffy fish-owl from Monticello - I have no idea what subspecies!, does anybody know?
- 1.2.1 Pel's fishing-owl from Monticello - nice population boost
- 1.1 oriental bay owl from Monticello - also increase of stock kept
- 1.0 kulan from Bratislava - from 2 kulan mares that arrived from Strohen earlier this year only 1 is visible, so I guess the second one is either dead or shipped out elsewhere
- 1.0 great Indian hornbill from Vogelpark Avifauna - another attempt to re-pair remaining birds I guess, aged European population is on the its way to die-out due to lack of breeding

Source

EDIT: the new Tasmanian devils arrived from Australia in the middle of December, and those pumas mentioned in previous monthly review were only on transport to other zoo and not intended to live permanently in Prague.
 
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Jana said:
- 2.3 African marsh owl (Asio capensis) from Monticello - new species
- 3.1 spotted wood owl (Strix seloputo) from Monticello - new species, I loved them in Zlin so Im happy when they eventually get on show in Prague too
- 1.2 Buffy fish-owl from Monticello - I have no idea what subspecies!, does anybody know?
- 1.2.1 Pel's fishing-owl from Monticello - nice population boost
- 1.1 oriental bay owl from Monticello - also increase of stock kept
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Al said:
Which institution is Monticello? Some large numbers of owls available!
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A private bird collection in northern Italy (Centro Monticello Conservation Centre) heavily focused on owls and waterfowl - IIRC all of the Marsh Owl, Pel's Fishing Owl and Spotted Wood Owl in European collections originate from there, and large portions of the European captive populations of several other species contain Monticello bloodlines.

The owner and founder, Enrico Albertini, died suddenly a few months ago - so this news does not surprise me, as I rather expected that the collection would be dispersed (or at least heavily reduced) as a result.
 
All the fishing owls of Prague were "on loan" from Monticello. The death of mr Albertini is very bad news for the breeding of strigiformes in captivity.
There are no more owls kept at Monticello, the other species (woodfordi, uralensis, nebulosa, varia, cunicularia, scops, ulula, all glaucidium and tous species...) have gone to other zoos and breeders (France, Holland, Denmark).
 
Jana said:
November list of arrivals is online.

- 1.0 Nothern talapoin monkey from Cordoba (new breeding male for the small group in Dja gorilla pavilion)
- 0.1 chestnut-backed ground-thrush (Geokichla dohertyi) from Chester
- 2.0 collared trogon from Chester
- 1.0 Javan green magpie from Chester
- 1.0 Cabot´s tragopan from TP Berlin
- 1.0 cinereous vulture from TP Berlin (a bird hatched in 2024, already on show in the big vulture aviary together with 8 other cinereous vultures, it´s a dating aviary where birds can chose future life partner once they mature, and then he will be shipped out to his final zoo together with his gf)
- 1.3 white-browed laughingthrush (Pterorhinus sannio) from unnamed breeding station - new species for Prague, should land in Secuan house eventually
- 0.0.1 white-crested laughingthrush (Garrulax leucolophus diardi) from unnamed breeding station
- 4.4.4 little rock frog (Staurois parvus) from Vienna zoo - new species
- 0.0.2 Asiatic softshelled turtle (Amyda cartilaginea maculosa) from Vienna zoo - new species, will probably stay backstage for a few years as I understand those are tiny fresh babies
- 0.0.1 Wallace's flying frog (Rhacophorus nigropalmatus) from Vienna zoo - ZTL lists arrival of 0.0.100 so no idea what figure is right or wrong, but if they are intended to live freely in Indonesian Jungle the second figure makes more sense
- 0.1 wild horse from La Grotte de Han in Belgium, probably to be shipped to Kazakhstan next spring
- 2.3 African marsh owl (Asio capensis) from Monticello - new species
- 3.1 spotted wood owl (Strix seloputo) from Monticello - new species, I loved them in Zlin so Im happy when they eventually get on show in Prague too
- 1.2 Buffy fish-owl from Monticello - I have no idea what subspecies!, does anybody know?
- 1.2.1 Pel's fishing-owl from Monticello - nice population boost
- 1.1 oriental bay owl from Monticello - also increase of stock kept
- 1.0 kulan from Bratislava - from 2 kulan mares that arrived from Strohen earlier this year only 1 is visible, so I guess the second one is either dead or shipped out elsewhere
- 1.0 great Indian hornbill from Vogelpark Avifauna - another attempt to re-pair remaining birds I guess, aged European population is on the its way to die-out due to lack of breeding

Source

EDIT: the new Tasmanian devils arrived from Australia in the middle of December, and those pumas mentioned in previous monthly review were only on transport to other zoo and not intended to live permanently in Prague.
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R.e. the flying frogs, it’s possible it’s a colony of ~100 animals that is being listed as one entity on their ZIMS. This often happens with other colony species (ants, corals etc) if the zoo in question can’t keep track of number of individuals reliably
 
Gavial said:
All the fishing owls of Prague were "on loan" from Monticello. The death of mr Albertini is very bad news for the breeding of strigiformes in captivity.
There are no more owls kept at Monticello, the other species (woodfordi, uralensis, nebulosa, varia, cunicularia, scops, ulula, all glaucidium and tous species...) have gone to other zoos and breeders (France, Holland, Denmark).
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Their website also seems to have been taken down
 
TeaLovingDave said:
The website has been down for a year or so now - certainly well before Albertini passed away.
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I browsed it in September when I heard of the birth of a Pel's fishing owl, could have been earlier, but I re-surfed it still in September to find out about this conservation centre that never showed on my radars, could it have been a copy?
 
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