Prague Zoo
It’s not often one enters the gates of a zoo that’s among the world’s finest for the first time. Prague very well may have been my most anticipated stop on this trip, not only because it’s widely considered one of Europe’s very best, but because it’s the zoo that’s most often compared to San Diego. With its steep hilly terrain, aviaries around every corner, and over 600 species spread throughout the grounds, this is an absolute beast of a collection and I spent just over nine hours from open to close exploring it all. I don’t think I sat down once that entire time, determined to find everything from the unshowy native bird aviaries in the children’s zoo to the Thorld’s deer paddock that can only be seen from a dead-end pathway tucked behind a restaurant. Even then there were bits that didn't get a proper look: I rushed the parrot aviary trail and somehow missed the red kangaroo yard and lemur islands entirely. Even as someone who moves at a rather brisk pace through larger zoos, two days really are needed to fully appreciate everything the zoo offers. Instead I took the following day to actually explore the city which was definitely the right call.
For several of those hours I was joined by
@TeaLovingDave and Helly who happened to be wrapping up a brief zoo trip of their own. They were great company and Dave provided some insight into details I would’ve otherwise been aware of, such as pointing out the one pure Galapagos Tortoise amongst the larger chelonians and filling me in why those ultra rare Javan green magpies in the Sichuan House weren’t all that green (due to previously being in ill suited conditions before their arrival). He’s also been an excellent source of wisdom on planning this whole excursion over the last year, as have many others who are well versed in the European zoo world. You all know you are and thank you once again!
Onto the zoo. Upon entry I immediately darted towards the jungle pavilion in order to catch the nocturnal hall while the lights were still on. Every single inhabitant was a no-show barring the most important one; the Chinese pangolins. Not sure how many zoo nerds can flex seeing two pangolin species and these little critters were incredibly active. The rest of the jungle house didn’t leave much of an impression and feels older than it really is. Seeing four adult Komodo dragons sharing one enclosure was an impressive sight however, as was witnessing the acrobatics of a baby orang outdoors. There are many great apes, but in my opinion orangutans are truly the greatest of them all.
Afterwards I meandered through the surrounding area which from an exhibit design perspective didn't start the zoo off on the best note. The polar bear enclosures are dreadful, probably the worst I’ve ever seen and a real black mark on the zoo. Nothing like this remains in U.S. zoos and while I am very pleased to see a new complex is underway, these bears will have to languish in these concrete bowls for at least four more years which is a shame. Nearby, unless the hippo paddock is able to be connected to the adjacent bongo/gazelle yards, the land area is about as minimalistic as it gets and once again entirely concrete. Even some of the smallest inhabitants are housed in less than ideal conditions in the Africa Up Close pavilion. This house is amazing in certain aspects, filled with tons and tons of new species that left me geeking out from fun-sized etruscan shrews to the surprisingly large greater galagos. Great group of outdoor enclosures as well with more lifeticks like honey badger, yellow mongoose, and cape ground squirrel. At the same time, some rodents are kept in absurdly tiny glass boxes, particularly the gerbil exhibits tucked into the rock crevices at the end of the hall.
The only other part of the zoo that felt somewhat dated was the combined feline-reptile house. Yet surprisingly, I actually enjoyed this one for what it is. All of the herp exhibits are very generous in size and spaces for the small cats (of which I went 0/4) and fossa (whose activity made up for its neighbors absence) are adequate both indoors and out. As old-school bedrooms, those indoor cat exhibits are fascinating from a historical perspective even if they aren’t pretty. Outdoors is similarly basic, but certainly not terrible by any means. The main issue is just one of aesthetics, as while the indoor big cat bedrooms aren't any worse than the average off-show holding at many places, perception is important and it’s probably not the best image to depict to visitors.
Done with the negatives and now it’s my time to give this zoo the hype it rightfully deserves. It should be noted that mammals are/were my main targets during this trip and if Vienna and Zlin were relatively light on mammal lifeticks, Prague made up for it in spades. There’s a little area just off the main path that hit me with bush dogs, tayra, jaguarundi (with some adorable cubs), and Cuban hutia all back to back – I didn't even know that last one existed! In fact, I was utterly overwhelmed by the amount of weird little rodent or rodent-esque creatures featured here. But nothing can stop seeing the spectacular brown hyenas. As we rounded the corner to their enclosures, Dave mentioned how they were an older pair that weren't as active these days and probably wouldn't be out, just moments before one of them came running into view. Couldn't be more pleased to see him eat his words!
Just the lower part of the zoo beneath the cliff could be an entire zoo in itself and I would’ve loved it all the same. Gibbons and neotropical primates have spacious islands packed with live mature trees, cranes of several species are treated to beautiful large yards, and a bunch of personal favorite birds-of-prey were found in an expansive complex of aviaries. It was the sititunga yard that I found most captivating, quite simply a gorgeous grassy yard dissected by a prominent water feature, but wonderful all the same. The giant salamander, tortoise, and gharial houses are all equally brilliant, exactly the kind of exhibits I want more zoos to build. Small and straightforward pavilions that make a real show of a particular species along with some relevant bonuses. The Sichuan house and accompanying outdoor aviary may seem like a typical rainforest bird exhibit, but is a lovely showcase of a highly specific region home to some choice species, such as those wonderful Javan green magpies previously mentioned and larger favorites like great argus and Cabot’s tragopan.
While discussing the Sichuan pavilion, I want to emphasize how much I enjoyed the contrast between having exhibits that center around a highly specific region (Gobi, Sichuan, Darwin Crater) and areas that have a very loose theme bunching a variety of different species together (Across the Continents, Water World). Both styles of exhibitry have merit and kept me guessing what I'll see next. This may be the only zoo I'm aware of that exhibits Przwalski's horse in a themed exhibit.
The upper portion of the grounds primarily consists of dozens and dozens of simple, functional, but perfect hoofstock paddocks. Plenty of neat species, although few I haven’t already seen at some point. Nothing could’ve prepared me however for the sheer scale of the cliffside caprid enclosures. Many people already know about these exhibits already, but just for those unaware, a steep cliff separates the upper and lower portions of the zoo and portions of the cliffs were fenced off to create a trio of enclosures for Himalayan tahr, West caucasian tur, and Barbaby sheep/Barbary macaque. Photos don’t do it justice, as not only are these paddocks massive, but provide vertical space that few traditional zoos can match. Two male tur were duking it out on the rocks right by the guest area which was exhilarating, while the larger males rested on some of the ledges higher up. Only downside is that it made the otherwise perfectly adequate takin enclosure, which is just a grassy field with some larger rocks at the center, look vastly inferior.
Let me just spitball a few more highlights really quick. Great gorilla house, no matter how jarring it is to see apes directly next to a savanna. That savanna however is genuinely stunning and an amazing vista. Elephants have a nice series of grassy yards with a mult-generational dynamic herd. So many superb walkthrough aviaries from the massive ones beneath the cliff, to the ones packed with rare birds in/around the Rakos house, plus that lovely little complex of walk-in structures full of wading birds from across the globe. Finally, any zoo which reacquaints me with shoebills always gets extra props. You’re kidding yourself if you don’t think these are the coolest birds ever.
So the question remains, did Prague dethrone San Diego as my favorite zoo? After careful consideration I’m gonna say… not quite. San Diego obviously has some low points (bear grottos, giraffes), but nothing as ugly as Prague's polar bear enclosure or those tiny little rodent boxes. The general ambience is also impossible for most zoos to replicate. Make no mistake however, Prague is amazing and at its best probably does outdo my Golden state favorite. When it comes to hoofstock, birds and herps the zoo is impeccable both in regards to collection and exhibitry. This is also the first time where it almost seemed like zoo nerds were being catered to specifically. It’s difficult to explain, but certain niche species are highlighted in a way that goes beyond what joe public would appreciate, at least that’s how it felt to me. Complete the Arctic complex, expand the orangutan enclosure, give the hippos access to the bongo yard, and replace some of the rodents with invertebrates and I may have a change of heart. It feels like there’s so much more to talk about, but this zoo has been covered so thoroughly on this forum that I’ll leave it here for now.
how did you manage that?
By the grace of God I made it over there before it was too late.
You still have a lot to explore in Europe, so I will wait to see where you will put Zlin in the big scheme of things. I loved all my visits there and I think @lintworm should be more generous to this Czech beauty. He will probably reconsider, after he sees the new Lion exhibit, inspired by Doue
