New African Pavillion (background)

I am sure thi wont be a new elephant house. The new houses are built for girrafes, rhinoceros, pygmy hippopotamus and some ungulates, but no elephant house

They are building new houses for giraffes and indian rhinos, there are no plans to keep elephants in the next future.

Checking through my other photos and the location, I have to correct myself: this can't be the Elephant House, but is rather part of the upcoming African Pavillion. However, you are incorrect in believing that are no plans of keeping elephants in Plsen: according to the responsible curator, they are going to obtain and keep Asian elephants in the near future (of a particular, non-Indian subspecies)...

This zoo is acctually "going to have elephants in the near future" for well over 40 years

I agree that they have a really good chance to realise their dream now. The preparation of a project called "Sloni na Mži" (= Elephants on the river Mže) on an area of 10,8 hectars is running well, construction works could start ca 2011. The main question is if they will get the biggest part of the total costs (almost 5,5 mio euros) covered from EU fonds. Otherwise I doubt the city council would vote to pay it whole from its own sources.

May I know which elephant subspecies is planned to come?

If everything goes well, they would like to keep sumatran subspecie, like Jana wrote, everything depends on donations from EU. Perhaps during the next 4-5 years.

@Jana: Jakub already mentioned it - Elephas maximus sumatrensis. "for well over 40 years" - Good things come to those who wait.

Wasn't the problem of this zoo, that they have a steady number of keepers and aren't allowed to get more? So it'll be interesting how they'll manage so much new stuff with this little staff.

All city-owned zoos have a limited number of personnel, and any increase must be approved by the city council (that is traditionally very reluctand to do it). But it´s been already agreed the zoo can hire 8 additional employees next year (related to the opening of the new african and asian sections). So I believe the zoo can await the same decision when the elephants will move in.

According to recent plans two Sumatran Elephant cows will arrive to Sosto Zoo (Nyiregyhaza, Hungary) in next year, as part of their newest project, the Green Pyramid.