Balkan zoos news

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Nikola Chavkosk

Well-Known Member
Like the thread Italian zoos news, I liked to create this thread about happenings - news in Balkan zoos, excluding Attika zoological park (because there is a thread particular for this zoo, this zoo is the biggest in Balkans).
I will include news from zoos from Serbia, R. Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Croatia (Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina don't really have zoos), and I don't understand Greek or not really Slovenian language, Slovenia - close to Italy and Austria. Although the zoos in the region are generally poor, I think they will attract interest from zoochaters. This doesen't mean that zoos from these Balkan countries can't be included here.


I will start with news from Belgrade zoo Serbia (Beo zoo vrt) (non-EAZA, and pretty crowded zoo): on March 3th, young pair of reindeers had arrived from Zoo Osnabruck Germany, as donation.

And with news about Bitola zoo (Зоолошка градина Битола) (most southernly, intermediate-sized zoo from officially three zoos in R. Macedonia, with Skopje zoo beeing the biggest): common hippo enclosure is built, now they are waiting to recieve hippo(s); I don't know from where; Skopje zoo have three common hippos, and I know that they received one hippo from Nuremberg zoo in Germany, some years ago. I attached photo from the new enclosure for hippo in Bitola zoo (although currently they keep red-necked walabies in it, and the enclosure it's nothing spectacular).(Today maximum temperature was 35 deg C, so it's difficult for animals here too.) The Bitola zoo was established in 1950s with the help from other Balkan zoos who donated zoo animals, mainly Skopje and Belgrade zoo (that time Yugoslavia); Belgrade zoo periodically sent some zoo animals to Bitola zoo, and I remember one donation, wich included leopard and black leopard (panther), liamas, and ostriches.

 
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First pygmy hippopothamuses had arrived in Bulgaria, in Sofia zoo (Зоопарк Софиа, Зоологическа градина Софиа) (the Bulgarian capital) on may 27th 2016, from Italy! (I didn't expected that Bulgaria would get pygmy hippos so fast, partially because Sofia zoo it's not EAZA-member, yet).

They are pair, and the male was born in March 2003 in Belgium, and the female was born in January 2005 in Germany. The park no further states from wich institution in Italy they came from (maybe Pico will know this?).

Here is link about the news (but language is on Bulgarian) : ?????????? ???????? ? ????????? ??????? ?? ????? ??? ? ????????


With Sofia zoo, now already three institutions in Balkan holds pygmy hippos (Zagreb Croatia, and Attika zoological park in Greece, being the rest).
 
First Komodo dragon ever held in zoo in Croatia, a 3.5 years old male, had arrived on April 19th, 2016, and holding institution is Zagreb zoo (Zooloski vrt grada Zagreba - EAZA member and largest zoo in Croatia, in the Croatian capital Zagreb). The komodo dragon was born in Barcelona zoo, and in Zagreb zoo he had arrived from France (from crocodile farm Pierrelattea?). ;)

Here is link on Croatian language about the news: (https://zoo.hr/novosti/komodski-varan-u-zoo-vrtu)

And here are some photos from Komodo dragon in Zagreb zoo:
https://zoo.hr/sites/default/files/285b1104.jpg
https://zoo.hr/sites/default/files/285b1114.jpg

There are only two zoos in the Balkans holding Komodo dragons, Attika zoological park in Greece and Zagreb zoo (Croatia).

As we know, Komodo dragon is more represented in US zoos than in zoos in Europe.
 
Somehow different kind of new or info about Balkan zoos, hope so I am not borring :)

There are currently 6 zoos in Balkans holding giraffes (hybrid, reticulated and Rothschild's) (from South to Northwest, Balkan): Attica zoological park, Skopje zoo, Belgrade zoo, Palic zoo (Serbia), Osijek zoo (Croatia) and Ljubljana zoo (Slovenia).

Also there is only one zoo in Balkans wich holds orangutans (hybrid and Bornean): Belgrade zoo;

And 7 zoos holding chimpanzees (hybrid and/or no subspecies status, and Western chimp in Belgrade) (from South to Northwest, Balkan): Attica zoological park, Stara Zagora zoo (Bulgaria), Belgrade zoo, Palic zoo (Serbia), Zagreb zoo, Osijek zoo (Croatia) and Ljubljana zoo (Slovenia); Skopje zoo is waiting for chimps. There is yet no Balkan zoo with Western lowland gorillas.

And 2 zoos holding siamangs: Attica zoological park and Skopje zoo.

Next post most probably will include distribution of zoo population in the Balkans, of elephants, hippos, Southern white rhinos and tapirs.
 
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I am continuing with presentation of distribution of zoo population of selected zoo animals in the Balkans (then I will search for other news from these zoos, and will present here, as we know the news in Balkan zoos are mostly published in national native languages in these countries, wich are other than English or German for example.) If I am borring please feel free to tell me that either here or via private message, please.
Ok then,

There are 6 zoos in Balkans that holds Asian elephants (no subspecies status, hybrids, Indian subspecies) (from South to Northwest, Balkan): Attica zoological park (recieved two females from Indian subspecies in 2015 from Netherlands), Sofia zoo (Bulgaria) (holds solitary female), Belgrade zoo (holds solitary female), Palic zoo (Serbia), Brijuni safari park (Croatia) (Indian subspecies), and Ljubljana zoo (Slovenia) (Indian subspp.).

There is yet no zoo in the Balkans with African bush elephants, black rhinos or Indian rhinos.

There are just 2 zoos holding Southern white rhinos: Sofia zoo (just one), and Attica zoological park (herd, mixed with cheetahs).

There are just 3 zoos holding common hippos: Skopje zoo (R. Macedonia), Sofia zoo, and Belgrade zoo; Bitola zoo in R. Macedonia is waiting for common hippos. (There are just 4 zoos with common hippos in UK!)

And 3 zoos holding pygmy hippos (already mentioned in previous post).

The only tapir species held in the Balkans is Brazilian tapir, held in 2 zoos: Belgrade zoo and Zagreb zoo (Croatia); I am not completely sure for Attica z.p. I can't reach it's website right now.
 
Safari park Brijuni is the only safari park in Croatia, although holds just a handfull of exotic animals and it is located in the National park Brijuni; animals there live in waste open enclosures. When Yugoslavia (former country) was receiving exotic animals like gifts, the animals were moved to Brijuni national park and it's zoo; that was the case also with Indian elephant cow with the name Sony, wich Indira Gandhi (from India) sent to Yugoslavia as gift in 1974. The elephant lived in Brijuni till 2010, when she died, and now there is just one Indian elephant remaining in Brijuni, who lived together with Sony. Her name is Lanka. :)
 
It can really be said that Zagreb zoo (Croatia) is the number one zoo in the Balkans when it comes to species variety of reptiles it holds, and particular because it holds some rarer lizards that are rare to see in zoos. If Attica zoological park in Greece is number one in the Balkans by number of species of birds it holds, the Zagreb zoo is definitively number one for reptiles, and particularly for lizards.

Some of the rarer lizard species hold in Zagreb zoo are: Utila-spiny tailed iguana (for wich there is ESB), Fiji-short crested iguana!, Cuban iguana, Spencer's monitor!!! (From where they get it/them, there are just two other zoos in Europe holding this species),, golden tegu lizard, Solomon island skink, Komodo dragon, mangrove monitor, Rio Fuerted beaded lizard, among other lizards, snakes (including venomous), tortoises/turtles, and crocodilians. I am actually stunned by variety of reptile species in Zagreb zoo.

It holds also some rarer interesting mammals, like for example Eastern quoll, Sumatra Prevost's squerrel, and common palm civet, but Zagreb zoo mammals and their rarety in other post ;)

Just for remindment, Zagreb zoo is EAZA member and Croatia is EU-member.
 
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Can you elaborate it bit more on Zagreb lizards, snakes and the tortoise and turtle collection?

Thanks for the interesting thread anyways! :) Hope others from Balkans will join up too.
 
I am continuing to describe variety of reptile collection at Zagreb zoo, after proposal and showed interest of Kifaru Bwana, and certantly other zoochatters. I must note that on official website of Zareb zoo, are not shown all reptile species; but I remmeber the old one (website), on wich there was exellent presentation of all species held in the zoo, and there were even info about current demography for each animal species in the zoo. For this description, I used Zootierliste, and website of Zagreb zoo and the news (wich unfortunately are only on Croatian language, but I understand it almost completely).

There are about 25 species of snakes, 20 spp. of lizards, 5 spp. tortoises, 11 spp. of turtles and 2 spp. of crocodilians, or total of 63 species of reptiles in Zagreb zoo:

Snakes: Boa constrictor, brown house snake, leafnose-snake, gopher snake, Colombian rainbow boa, ball python, Burmese rock python, reticulated python, green tree python, carpet python (Nortwestern), Durango Mountain kingsnake, yellow anaconda, green anaconda, red-tailed ratsnake, four-lined ratsnake, common black ratsnake, tiger ratsnake, Honduran milksnake, Sinaloan milksnake, gold-ringed catsnake, beauty snake, tentacled snake (received from Los Angeles zoo), eyelash viper, Mexican moccasin, gaboon viper (Western).

Lizards: Fat-tailed gecko, Egyptian spiny-tailed lizard, golden tegu lizard, baja California rock lizard, Rio Fuerte beaded lizard, common chuckwalla, green iguana, Cuban iguana, Utila spinytailed iguana, Fiji short-crested iguana, broad-tailed day gecko, common leopard gecko, marbled gecko, William's electric blue gecko, Chinese water dragon, Solomon island skink, Nile monitor, Komodo dragon (received in 2016 from France), mangrove monitor, Spencer's monitor.

Tortoises: East African leopard tortoise, Herman's tortoise, red-footed tortoise, yellow-footed tortoise, African spurred tortoise
Turtles: yellow-spotted Amason river turtle, Eastern box turtle, Chinese three-stripped box turtle, giant Asian pond turtle, Chinese soft-shelled turtle, European pond turtle, Alligator snapping turtle, Hilariae's side-necked turtle, McCord's snake-necked turtle, red-bellied short-necked turtle, red-eared slider.

Crocodilians: Cuvier's dwarf caiman, Nile crocodile.

Not so long ago there was also Macklot's python. Utila spiny-tailed iguana is critically endangered species of iguana from Central America, and there are currently 22 holding zoos in Europe (ZTL). And there are just 7 holding zoos in Europe (3 German, 2 British, 1 French and Zagreb zoo), of Fiji short-crested iguana (but no ESB or EEP fot this species).


I went retro trough news on Zagreb zoo website, back to 8th december 2013, and there were not any special news involving reptiles other than arrival of Komodo dragon and something about ilegal trade.

It seems that Belgrade zoo (I remmember that al least holds Western diamondback rattlesnake and monocled cobra) holds more species of venomous snakes than Zagreb zoo; they are the only two zoos on Balkans holding (truly) venomous snakes (not 100% sure).
 
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Other some older, and interesting, news about Zagreb zoo was the arrival (on 19th March, 2015 - so before more than a year), of a pair of Black-and-golden howler monkey; with the male (15 years old) who arrived from the Netherlands, and the female (8 years old) from Britain.

The population of Black-and-golden howler monkeys in European zoos is numbering at least 170 individuals, and Zagreb zoo is currently the only Balkan zoo holding this species (for me very attractive species of monkey, and all howler monkeys in general - quite attractive choice); Pafos zoo on Cyprus (geographically Island part of Asia, located under Turkey, but in strong ties with Greece and also is EU-member country) also holds black-and-gold howler monkeys.
I was also stunned by collection of mammals in Zagreb zoo (also holds poto, galagos, various rodents, hairy aramdilo, giant anteater etc.), but more about mammals in other (next) post.
 
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I will present something about rarity of mammals in Zagreb zoo, I mean rarity - rare to see in zoos mammals, not rare like threatened status.

Zagreb zoo, holds also, among other mammals: Southern springhare (only 9 holding zoos in Europe), Sumatra Prevost's squirrel (20 holders in Europe), gray mouse lemur (29 holders in Europe), gray-handed night monkey (24 zoo holders in Europe), common palm civet (not so rare), Malayan sun bear (only 21 holding zoos in Europe), North Chinese leopard (29 zoo holders in Europe), Eastern quoll (just 11 holding zoos in Europe!).

And also holded potto, thick-tailed bushbaby (now only held in Russia and Belarus - Europe), Diana monkey, Sumatran orangutan(s) and long time ago even forest elephants!

The zoo also holds red pandas and giant anteater (only 2 zoos in Balkans holding this species, other zoo is Attica zoological park).

It seems that Zagreb zoo is well-focused on microfauna - rodents, prosimians, small carnivores, Edentata, Eastern quoll.
 
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Thank you very much for up-dating us with all this Balkan-news Nikola Chavkosk and as you said already, its realy an intresting area from which too little information is made avaible ! Glatt you are trying to change this !
 
Some retro-news from Belgrade zoo, I went retro on zoo website news:

26th November 2015: New subspecies had arrived in the zoo, Persian leopard, a male with name Goran; the park no further states from where he has come from: Zoolo?ki vrt grada Beograda – Beo Zoo Vrt Stigao persijski leopard

23th July 2015: White bengal tiger, as zoo states, had arrived from Greece! His name is Tomek. Here are interesting photos: Zoolo?ki vrt grada Beograda – Beo Zoo Vrt Stigao beli tigar Tomek

2 July 2015: Two young (2-years old, now 3 years old) male cheetahs had arrived from Dvur Kralove in Czech Republic, as part of donation. Their names are Hawa and Swam :Zoolo?ki vrt grada Beograda – Beo Zoo Vrt Gepardi

30th April 2015: Jaguar female had arrived in the zoo. The zoo no further states from where she has came from: Zoolo?ki vrt grada Beograda – Beo Zoo Vrt Stigao jaguar u Beo Zoo Vrt

One of the zoo's main focus are big cats, and the 2015 was certainly big year for big cats in the zoo.
 
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The only rarer to see in zoos, animals in Skopje zoo (R. Macedonia, FYROM) are the collared mangabeys (cherry-crowned) (holded in 17 zoos in Europe, and Skopje zoo the only place in Balkans holding this species) and red buffalos (forest buffalo) (holded in 29 zoos in Europe, again Skopje zoo the only place in Balkans holding this species) (although I don't saw tme on last visit, they were building something in that area). They all have been recently recieved from other zoos in Europe.

Also, in the last 2-5 years, Skopje zoo recieved various animals, mainly from non-Balkan European zoos, like: red-handed tamarins, pygmy marmosets, patas monkeys, ring-tailed lemurs, meerkats, Przewalski horses, giraffes, emus; California sea lions were recieved from Zagreb zoo in 2015.

On my last visit on June 29th, 2016 I notced that Skopje zoo is building something big, I suppose it will be chimpanzee enclosure(s) for future holding of this species.

Some new enclosures were provided, like for example for collared mangabey (the picture I have attached), and pig-tailed macaques were placed in big, new (former jaguar) enclosure with grass and small trees, roofed.



The reptile and bird collections of the zoo remains poor, and the zoo is not holding any amphibians, fish and invertebrates other than Mexican tarantula.
 
The biggest three zoos in Serbia are: Belgrade zoo (by far the bigest, firstly because of number of species of animals it holds, and their demography), Palic zoo, and Jagodina zoo.

There is great collaboration between Palic zoo and Belgrade zoo, resulting with exchange (or donation of Belgrade zoo to Palic zoo) of many animals, and one such exchange was sending of two males dorcas gazelles, from Belgrade zoo to Palic zoo, on April 18th, 2015.
Dorcas gazelle is vulnerable species, inhabiting Northern Africa and parts of Arabian peninsular. The subspecies of these dorcas gazelles is Saharan dorcas (Gazella dorcas osiris), and it is holded in just 13 zoos in Europe (and two of them are Serbian, and biggest number are Spanish - 5 zoos in Spain holds this species). No other susbesies of dorcas gazelle is currently holded in the European zoos. I don't know what is the status in US zoos? Here is link (with picture) about the news (but on Serbian language): Vesti | Zoloski vrt Palic

Palic zoo website is very good, promoting modern zoo work, but it's on Serbian language. Palic zoo (Zooloski vrt Palic) is located near town of Palic, in Northern Serbia, near border with Hungary.

Next post, possibly will be about Bulgarian smaller zoos. I will try to explore smaller zoos in Bulgaria, and find out some interesting news.
 
In this post I will present some news and/or quick info about Bulgarian zoos, except Sofia zoo (largest zoo, in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia, wich also holds solitary female Indian elephant, white rhino, pygmy hippopothamuses, red ruffed lemurs, among other animals),and except Varna aquarium and Varna dolphinarium.

According to ZTL there are listed about 18-20 Bulgarian zoos (one aquarium, and one dolphinarium), most of wich are micro zoos (I mean micro zoos because they hold only several animals, and most exotic of them on list are ending with big cats like lions, hybrid tigers, or even Amur leopard).

Blagoevgrad zoo - I can't find website (there were several incidents in the past, including escape of brown bears and wolf); Aytos zoo (can't find website); Gabrovo zoo (can't find website, seems that also holds mandril); Haskovo (Kenana) zoo (can't find w., seem that also hold Nile crocodile http://www.hsmaritsa.com/obschestvo/35-vida-zhivotni-otglezhdat-na-kenana.html ); Karnobat zoo (can't find w.); Knezia zoo (can't find w.); Kubrat zoo (can't find w.); Pavlikeni zoo (can't find w.); Pleven zoo (can't find w.); Razgrad zoo (can't find w., also mentioned selling of lion cubs, and on Zoochat); Shumen zoo (can't find w.); Tarqovishte zoo (nothing at all).

Dobrich zoo - it is named as Centre for protection of animals and plants, also helps brown bears, housing sick, inappropriately-kept, injured or orphaned brown bears, from other zoos, and rescued from bear-dancing parks, circuses: ??????

Lovech zoo (wikipedia, Зоопарк (Ловеч)) somehow bigger, also holds jaguar, hanuman langur and Amur leopard?

Plovdiv zoo, renovating (also there is thread about this, from Nisha), it should reopen in late September this year (2016);

Stara Zagora zoo (Зоологическа градина Стара Загора): The zoo will build vast open enclosure for Eurasian brown bears, also new animals were born (hatched) (like liamas, deers and emus); I can't find whether it really holds chimp(s), as stated on ZTL; website: ??????????????? ??????? ? ??? ????? ???? ?????????

I know that this post it's not particularly interesting, but I must do this. In the next post I will present some news/info (that otherwise are presented only on Bulgarian language), about Varna dolphinarium and Varna aquarium, and in other post, a deeper, more picant elaboration (rarer-to see in zoos, animals) of Sofia zoo.
 
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AFAIK, the rhino at Sofia Zoo is male white rhino Chico, 32, he is doing fine, well cared and pampered.
 
Jola said:
AFAIK, the rhino at Sofia Zoo is male white rhino Chico, 32, he is doing fine, well cared and pampered.
Click to expand...

Thank you for info, I saw picture on net from the white rhino, it looked fine.
I was not sure if he was male or female, neither knowed how old it is.
 
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