Prague Zoo Praha Prague Zoo News 2023

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List of November arrivals/births is online:

1.1 immature Cinereous vultures arrived from Liberec and Allwetterzoo Münster. Another young pair should come soon. They will join 2.2 adult cinereous vultures already kept in the large old aviary "pod skálou", bond into new pairs and enlarge the colony (source - FB post).

Dvur Kralove sent new sitatunga breeding male.
Liberec sent male Booted eagle.
Male Egyptian vulture arrived from specialised vulture breeding centre in Vallcalent (Spain).
Male bald eagle came from Vogelpark Avifauna.
Male boat-billed heron came from Frankfurt.
Two song thrushes from Hluboka/Ohrada.
Female black-and-rufous sengi from Leipzig.

2.1 White-headed ducks are from Monticello centre in Italy. This species is kept for years in walk-through waldrapp aviary with little breeding success, so the zoo must buy new birds from time to time to keep them on exhibit.

Chester sent another pair of collared trogons. All trogons are still kept backstage and still no chicks bred at Prague.
Chester sent also 3 female Red-tailed laughingthrushes (Trochalopteron milnei) which is good news because Prague was down to last two males.

1.2 Tartar sand boas (Eryx tataricus) and 21 Sunwatcher toadhead agamas (Phrynocephalus helioscopus) from private breeders are animals destined for the small house that should open next March/April near wild horses. (BTW I still wait for the promised manuls)

Arrival of 10 white storks from Stara Zagora/Bulgaria is puzzling. They are probably unreleasable wild birds. If Prague wants more storks for exhibition purposes it could easily get dozens from our local rescue stations. No need to import them. Czech wild stork population is stable for +30 years and at full capacity limit of our enviroment, there is no purpose in conservation breeding and releases either.

Among births are:
2 Humboldts penguins, squirrel monkey, leopard tortoises
northern treeshrews, parma wallaby, De Brazzas monkey
Cape porcupine, white spotted reed frogs (Heterixalus alboguttatus)
orange baboon tarantula (Pterinochilus murinus), 2 yellow-spotted rock hyraxes
 
Jana said:
Two Impressed tortoises (Manouria impressa) hatched at the 4th of June. This is the first breeding at any European zoo - however this species was already bred in private in Europe before.

The zoo keeps a group of 1,4 adult animals at Giant salamander house. The male arrived only in December 2022 from Taipei zoo. He was seized by Taiwan authorities - he was illegaly kept animal. Obtaining export approval took +2 years.

This tortoise species has similar egg care like some crocodiles. The female builds a muld and protects it during incubation.

Source
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Article about this outstanding breeding-result :

Prague Zoo impresses as the first European zoo to breed impressed tortoises
 
lintworm said:
Zoo Prague has imported 5.5 Brazilian merganser from Brazil. This would be the first time this critically endangered species is kept in a European zoo according to ZTL. Zoo Prague already supported Itaiba, which kept 40 of these mergansers in 2021 and was successful in breeding them.
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Additionally: There are estimated to be less than 250 of these animals left in the wild, and that's a positive estimate (a pessimistic estimate being around 50 wild animals). But thanks to zoos, animals have bounced back from worse. The Cayman blue iguana, for example, has gone from 15 to 300+ animals in the wild, with an additional population in zoos. Let's hope that, with the expansion of breeding efforts, the Brazilian merganser will make a similar comeback!
 
10 in Europe, around 50/60 in zooparque Itatiba in the breeding centre behind the scenes, and I think that one or two other Brazilian institutions have recently received a few individuals as well.
When I had the chance to visit the breeding centre, the person in charge explained me that I was with probably 40% of the world population around me.

A few photos were uploaded in the gallery : ZooPark de Itatiba - Page 2 - ZooChat
(I still need tosee one in the wild)
 
remar said:
I wouldn't bet on it. Take a look at Dvur. They imported 3 pairs of aardwolfs from Africa. After quarantine one pair was sent to Zlin.
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I want to comment a little bit on this

International animal transport is not cheap endeavour - in direct cost, in bureaucratic requirements (permits and vet certificates) and staff workload. Prague has the luxury of sufficient resources to handle it with easiness most smaller zoos don´t. I think Prague still has 3 full-time people in their animal trade and transport department.

On the other hand, low budget forces other Czech zoos to closely coordinate in animal transports to slash at least some costs. You can see it usually for longer trips within Schengen, but occasionally also intercontinental animal exchanges. It´s not rare to end with a zoovan transporting a dozen animal boxes that makes 6 stops at different zoos to load and unload animals along the way from point A and point B (lets say Czechia and Portugal). Cost is then split among participants.

The mentioned import of aardwolfs is similar case, zoos just pooled finances to make the import happen. Transport and quarantine of one batch of 6 animals was easier than handling several independent imports.
 
An update on 5 Egyptian vultures that arrived from Lebanon wildlife rescue station in year 2022, they are birds with injuries that prevented their full rehabilitation and release and thus were sent to Europe to take part in EEP program. Already 3 of them paired up with a partner of their liking in a dating aviary. The aviary is backstage at Prague zoo, but you can actually peek a little in, if you look at Stellers sea eagles and make 180 degree turn and look through layers of mesh. Fingers are crossed for 2024 breeding season.

Egyptian Vultures rescued in Lebanon found partners in captivity and are ready to breed


In 2022, five Egyptian Vultures were transported from Lebanon to Prague Zoo to become part of the important captive-breeding program for the species. All these birds had tough luck in life but thanks to international efforts they recovered well and live their new lives. Antonin Vaidl from Prague Zoo – the coordinator of the Egyptian Vulture captive-breeding program, shared some happy news for these Egyptian Vultures: three of the birds have found partners and are ready to breed. One of them even laid two eggs in 2023 which unfortunately did not hatch but hopes are high for a successful breeding season in 2024.

Let us remind you of the background of these Egyptian Vultures:

Anahita is a female born in Bulgaria and tagged by BSPB/BirdLife Bulgaria with a GPS transmitter. She was shot down in Lebanon, but thanks to the immediate response of SPNL/BirdLife Lebanon and the Anti-Poaching Unit, she was saved. Her story thrilled millions of people around the world. Anahita was the first to take the flight from Beirut to Prague, where she underwent another surgery to remove the metal implants from her leg and some of the lead pellets. Today, Anahita is fully recovered, she can now use both legs and is placed in a dating aviary to find a partner and breed.

In September 2021 SPNL’s Anti-Poaching Unit saved three adult Egyptian Vultures, which were illegally held in a farm. One of these individuals was released but the other two remained in captivity. The x-ray examination showed that both individuals had been shot and had lead pellets in their bodies and fractures of the wings; therefore, they could not be released in the wild. With the support of BSPB, these individuals were transported to Prague Zoo in June 2022 to become part of the captive-breeding program for the species, which is coordinated by Antonin Vaidl from Prague Zoo. One of these males found a lovely female and hopefully will breed in the near future

In April 2022 SPNL’s Anti-Poaching Unit managed to confiscate other two adult Egyptian Vultures which were illegally held in a farm in the north of the country. The vet examination revealed that both individuals had also been shot and have lead pellets or old fractures and therefore could not be released in the wild. After few months all the documents were acquired and in December 2022 these two individuals embarked on a journey north to Prague Zoo. The male now has a partner in the zoo and is separated in a breeding aviary. The female also found a partner and laid two eggs this breeding season which unfortunately did not hatch.

We, here at BSPB, keep fingers crossed for successful breeding of the Egyptian Vultures in captivity. These individuals had lost their freedom but their offspring one day will be released in Bulgaria and will ensure the survival of their species in the wild nature!

This is a story of success and great example of international collaboration that underlines the importance of the flyway conservation approach for the threatened migratory species!

The rescue and care for the Egyptian Vultures in Lebanon and their transportation to Prague Zoo were done in the framework of the Egyptian Vulture New LIFE project (LIFE16 NAT/BG/ 000874) funded by the EU and coordinated by BSPB/BirdLife Bulgaria.

Source
 
The zoo director confirmed that echidna puggle that hatched in the zoo on 11th January is still alive and weights over 1,5 kg now. This means that Prague can celebrate its first successfully reared echidna. (Just to remind - the first ever puggle produced by the same pair died due to bacterial infection at age of 6 months in year 2021.) New Guinea echidna females kept at Czech zoos lay eggs app every 2 years, so I look forward to spring 2025.

The director also announced that Brazilian mergansers will go on show on 23th March 2024. It will happen during traditional season opening ceremony when new exhibits and species are officially unveiled (the wild horse exhibit will open on the same day).

Source
 
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