Prague Zoo Praha Prague Zoo News 2019

lintworm said:
On Monday I visited Prague Zoo, my only previous visit was in 2017 and I really loved the zoo back then and I still do. Not much has changed in these two years, the only new exhibit was one for Lake Titicaca frog (which are really cool) in the Terrarium. The new parrot house looks finished, but was still closed... It looks nice architecturally but it looks like it is on the small side for the number of inhabitants planned. Next door they are constructing an Australian area for Tasmanian devil, Yellow-footed rock wallaby, Echidna, Lord Howe's stick insect and more. It looks promising, but won't be very big either.

Prague is a zoo that is somewhat hard to define but it has something for everyone. The collection is gigantic, including many rarities, with Javan green magpie, Lake Titicaca frog, Etruscan shrew, Kagu and Panay cloud rat (unseen again) new on show since 2017 and Ganzhorn mouse lemur signed but not on-show. The zoo has quite some enclosures that are not quite adequate or on the small side, including many of the enclosures in the Rainforest house, Africa up close and the cat house. But on the other hand there are some of the best enclosures Europe has to offer. Most eye-catching are naturally the mountain ungulate enclosures on the cliff side. But the real highlight for me is the Sichuan house, which is a relatively simple but highly effective free-flight aviary with a variety of Chinese birds. It is a theme not often seen in Europe, but the result is just lovely. The Giant Salamander house, Gharial house and the whole wetland area are also extremely nice as are the sprawling hoofstock paddocks in the higher part of the zoo.

With many zoos either following a taxonomic, biome or continental lay-out, Prague combines all three and it adds to that nice feeling of surprise where you can wander through a zoo with unexpected sights at every turn. It makes it relatively easy to miss enclosures, but for me that is also the fun of exploring a zoo. The Chacoan mara tucked away next to the Fur seals, the native bird aviaries in the Children zoo or the Goral behind one of the restaurants, are all easy to miss if you are not paying attention or aren't willing to explore all the corners of this huge zoo. In a time when zoos seem to be dumbing down visitors with fixed routes, less species and bad theming, a zoo like Prague sticks out even more with celebrating diversity, not only of species but also in the diversity of how to display them. Prague may not be the best in any single given ranking, but there is a lot to enjoy for any type of zoo nerd. It is not a perfect zoo, but it might well be the most diverse zoo on the continent.
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I totally agree with you. I personally liked the Tropical House with Orangutans, Elephant Valley, African Plains and Bird Wetlands. But whole zoo was pretty.
 
As well as Yellow-footed rock wallaby and Lord Howe's stick insect according to the signage at the building site.
 
lintworm said:
As well as Yellow-footed rock wallaby and Lord Howe's stick insect according to the signage at the building site.
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The rock wallabies might be result of a change in original plans meaning that either swamp wallabies or wallaroos won't be there.
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Rock wallabies also as available and EEP species attached to AZA.
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Availibility wasn't reason for a change as both Swamp and Wallaroos are already present in zoo

After some research it seems like it will be Rock wallabies and Eastern wallaroos
 
lintworm said:
But the real highlight for me is the Sichuan house, which is a relatively simple but highly effective free-flight aviary with a variety of Chinese birds. It is a theme not often seen in Europe, but the result is just lovely.
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Couldn't agree more. I spent hours in there (two visits over two days) and saw something new every time. Superb!
 
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