Prague Zoo Praha Prague Zoo Walkthrough / Review

I missed this until now, was wondering where the visit report would be and forgot to check the region! Great write up, sounds an amazing place to visit.
 
HOMIN96 said:
Noticed only now, but it is quite important tidbit...

Not every cuckoo is a nest parasite ;)
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Thank you for posting that! You're right of course, because none of the New World Cuckoos are nest parasites. Guira Cuckoo, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Groove-billed Ani, and Greater Roadrunner all build their own nests and raise their own chicks, but some are social/communal breeders so that adds a layer of complexity.
 
I just saw this today as well and I was blown away by this excellent review! Thank you for putting so much time and detail into this! The Prague Zoo is on my bucket list if I ever make it to Europe. I have a friend who has lived in Prague for over 20 years and he raves about their zoo. Now, I can see why!
 
I really like this review of Praha Zoo a lot, as it goes into detail about the animals and the enclosures they live in. However, the fact that Praha has 5 porcupine species but no tamarins or marmosets or marine fish makes me curious. What are species that are not represented in this species heavy zoo besides tamarins and marmosets and not obvious ones like cetaceans?
 
zoogeekmaelstrom said:
I really like this review of Praha Zoo a lot, as it goes into detail about the animals and the enclosures they live in. However, the fact that Praha has 5 porcupine species but no tamarins or marmosets or marine fish makes me curious. What are species that are not represented in this species heavy zoo besides tamarins and marmosets and not obvious ones like cetaceans?
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Rhinos and famous south american animals like jaguar, giant otter, sloth, condor, harpy eagle, woolly monkey....and also a big zoo like it must have another bear species
 
EDIT: sorry, I obviously can´t read and missed that these posts are more like answers, than some sort of "complains" :rolleyes:
(I let it there, however)

Oh, c´mon, even the best zoos can´t have everything : D
(and to try something like that, at the expense of space and wellfare for already kept species...)
Rhinos - they are supposed to return (but this plan exists for more than decade and at least once has changed, so...)
South American animals - oh, there are some animals (spider monkeys, giant anteaters, tapirs, various birds, including lear macaws...) And most of species mentioned by Andeaghido were supposed to appear in planned South American area (which was scrapped/postponed, however)
Bears - there were plans for giant pandas or some "other asian species" in place of today polar bears, but now it seems, that this place will be used for enlargement of orangutans exhibit)
Crocodiles - I think two large species are enough (but cubans are off show, so...)
Fishes - here I can´t disagree, lack of some bigger aquarium exhibit (apart of these in Indonesian jungle and one vivarium in Cat house) in such huge and varied collection seems to me indeed noteworthy
 
PossumRoach said:
Other than gharial and the Cuban crocodiles that are behind the scenes I think the zoo is lacking in crocodilians on display.
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Crocodilians are amongst my favourite animals, but I would take a devoted pavilion like Chambal with six huge individuals in a deep pool packed with turtles and fish, over more species in more standard enclosures in a reptile or crocodile house. And while I did mention in my summative post that I found it bizarre that a major zoo would only have one onshow, now that I think about it I'm not sure why, as most of the other major zoos that I have been to (Zürich, Burgers', Chester, Antwerp and, at the time of my visit, Beauval) have the same situation. I feel as though this, and several of my other similar remarks such as the presence of 'only' one bear species, were more a reaction to how funny it is that any zoo feels the need for three subspecies of tiger and five species of porcupine! :p

Fish is the only one that I really take issue with, but then one of the things I adored most about Prague was the lack of taxonomic theming in newer exhibits, with mammals, birds and reptiles all being integrated cleverly into geographical displays, so you never got bored of seeing the same type of animal over and over, instead finding yourself immersed in whatever ecosystem they were trying to evoke. It's all highly opinionated but I am more than content with the lack of an aquarium, though I would love to see future developments incorporate fish tanks. Rhinos are another one, mainly as, personally, an African savannah doesn't feel complete without them, as particularly in a proper crash they do so well to break up the sightlines, but again I am leaning into personal nitpicks here. ;)

While I'm at it, I might as well say that, having given myself a bit more time to mull over it all, I no longer struggle to say whether I prefer Prague or Zürich. Over the past few months I have come to realise just how great this zoo is, and even areas that I felt a little indifferent to at the time, such as Plains, or felt hindered by high expectations, such as Sichuan, now seem excellent, and I really want to revisit with a new perspective. The copy of the zoo's map which I found, by some fortune, left on one of the fences around the Children's Zoo, has remained firmly blu-tacked to my bedroom wall ever since my visit, and I often catch myself procrastinating by scrolling mindlessly through photos taken by myself or other enthusiasts of the zoo, or through its old news threads, reminiscing on the fantastic day which I enjoyed there. :p I wish I could return this year but have other plans for holidays, but there are tentative plans for a Prague-Vienna trip the summer after which will allow a return visit, and I cannot wait as I wholeheartedly believe which this is the best zoo that I have visited!
 
xmoose said:
for already kept species...)
Bears - there were plans for giant pandas or some "other asian species" in place of today polar bears, but now it seems, that this place will be used for enlargement of orangutans exhibit)
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There are plans on building an enclosure for an asian bear species in the place of the current polar bear exhibit and an enlargement of the orangutan exhibit.
 
merlin said:
There are plans on building an enclosure for an asian bear species in the place of the current polar bear exhibit and an enlargement of the orangutan exhibit.
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Weren’t there also suggestions that Prague looks to acquire Gobi Brown Bears from Mongolia as part of the same project as the Wild Camels? Could that perhaps be the ‘other Asian species’ which is intended to go on the former Polar Bear grottos?

I assume (and hope) that if this does happen it won’t just be the site of the grottos, and will encompass some surrounding land too, as I am not sure that even combining the two it is big enough for bears. Perhaps the Red Kangaroo enclosure behind, as the zoo already has numerous onshow macropods.
 
Kalaw said:
Weren’t there also suggestions that Prague looks to acquire Gobi Brown Bears from Mongolia as part of the same project as the Wild Camels? Could that perhaps be the ‘other Asian species’ which is intended to go on the former Polar Bear grottos?

I assume (and hope) that if this does happen it won’t just be the site of the grottos, and will encompass some surrounding land too, as I am not sure that even combining the two it is big enough for bears. Perhaps the Red Kangaroo enclosure behind, as the zoo already has numerous onshow macropods.
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I recall the plains area being slated for greater one-horned rhinoceros and other South and Southeast Asian species but I don’t see why the Gobi bears (if the zoo is to import any) shouldn’t be placed there instead of somewhere that’s otherwise far from the Gobi exhibit?
 
Kalaw said:
Weren’t there also suggestions that Prague looks to acquire Gobi Brown Bears from Mongolia as part of the same project as the Wild Camels? Could that perhaps be the ‘other Asian species’ which is intended to go on the former Polar Bear grottos?

I assume (and hope) that if this does happen it won’t just be the site of the grottos, and will encompass some surrounding land too, as I am not sure that even combining the two it is big enough for bears. Perhaps the Red Kangaroo enclosure behind, as the zoo already has numerous onshow macropods.
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There weren't. They are going to help with their protection in the wild, but that's it (for now). Although it would be cool if they obtained those.
 
merlin said:
There weren't. They are going to help with their protection in the wild, but that's it (for now). Although it would be cool if they obtained those.
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Thanks, I read that the president of Mongolia asked Prague to help with the bear’s conservation, and excitedly misread it as something about acquiring captive individuals being a long term goal. Even still, it’s a nice step for the species and the zoo.
 
HOMIN96 said:
No way you manage to fit both of it there even as a rotational exhibit. Unless the plan includes to cut the kangaroo exibits.
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I'm just repeating what the director says, I personally think it's a nonsense too... And of course there are plans on using more space than just what the current polar bear exhibit takes.
 
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