Zoo Ostrava Zoo Ostrava news

Therabu said:
Very interesting breeding success. Is it a first on the continent ?
I wish more zoos dedicate efforts to breeding endangered freshwater fishes
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No idea if somebody bred this species in Europe before. Due to its size, it´s not usual commercialy-interesting tropical aquarium tank fish.

Zoo Ostrava has some dedicated and knowledgable keepers specialised in freshwater fish with interest in unusual species. Unfortunately, most of those "fine" fish is kept off-show there. I haven´t found any plans for construction of new show tanks or even whole aquarium building.

The next zoo project should be crowd-pleasing penguins (Humbolts) however covid caused lack of funds probably pushed it more into future anyway.
 
The flock of Caribbean flamingos residing at zoo entrance raises 8 fluffy chicks.

Three newest editions of studbooks have been released - common hippo (Europe), barasingha deer (Europe) and Siberian wapiti (Europe).
 
New species has bred - yellow-headed temple turtle (Heosemys annandalii).

The zoo received 1.1 animals in 2010 from Kadoorie Farm and Botanical Garden in HK (confiscated turtles from illegal trade) and another female from Cologne Zoo in 2015. A clutch of 7 eggs was found, now 4 babies hatched - all will be male due to low temperature in the incubator.
 
Very nice news!
Is the sex orientation of the clutch towards male a choice or pure chance ?
Naturally, I would say that more females is more convenient for population expansion.
 
Therabu said:
Is the sex orientation of the clutch towards male a choice or pure chance ?
Naturally, I would say that more females is more convenient for population expansion.
Click to expand...

The zoo placed 3 eggs into an incubator with higher temperature (30 Celsius) and 4 eggs into an incubator with lower temperature (28,5 Celsius). Those first 3 eggs were planned to become female babies but unfortunately all failed to hatch.
Link to article

I do agree that female hatchlings would be more convenient for future in theory. In reality, this species is kept only by a handful of zoos and no coordinated breeding exists. This is a pretty large species with 50 cm long carapax and is fully herbivorous so it needs strong fitration of large amount of heated water. I can´t see a queue of organisations (or private keepers) willing to house and expand the captive population in Europe. Might even prove to be very difficult to place these 4 offspring in future. Unfortunately.
 
The walk-though aviary La Pampa has received an additional species - Yellow Cardinal (Gubernatrix cristata) - 1,1 breeding pair. They moved from parrot aviaries here.

The zoo financially supports Proyecto Cardenal Amarillo project in Argentina that tries to protect the species and rehabilitate individuals saized from illegal trade.

Current line-up in La Pampa aviary:
black vulture
black-faced ibis
silver teal
spectacled duck
black-necked stilt
yellow-billed pintail
Brazilian guinea pig (wild form)

 
How easily the specie propagate in captivity ?
Is the rarity status of the specie in captivity is the result of being difficult to maintain and breed or more simply lack of interest from zoological institutions ?
 
Therabu said:
How easily the specie propagate in captivity ?
Is the rarity status of the specie in captivity is the result of being difficult to maintain and breed or more simply lack of interest from zoological institutions ?
Click to expand...

This species has been kept and bred in captivity for decades, however it never really took off and haven´t created really robust population. Propagation is harder than common astrilds but easier than for example northern cardinal. Since imports into Europe got scarce/non-existent, captive population started slowly to dwindle (like in many small bird species that used to be kept afload by imports) because offspring is less than mortality long-term. Pairs are aggresive. Chicks often die because they leave nest before their termoregulation gets 100% working, they can´t fly the first days and they don´t survive usual Central European spring/autumn nights outside.

Only few zoos in Europe keep the species mainly due to lack of interest. Birds can still be brough from private breeders if zoos would like to start a coordinated breeding program one day.

Its wild population has crashed mainly due to overharvesting - males are favourite cage birds in S.America. This site mentions last 1000-2000 wild birds survive.

Ostrava kept the species since 2008, mixed with parrots. The breeding pair shown in the video is 6-years old female and 5-years old male and they both have repeatedly brough up chicks. The zoo wanted to leave their chicks with them to become "helpers" during next breeding season, which is praxis that increases number of chicks that survive. But the pair got aggresive to them soon, and chicks had to be separated before age of 3 months, probably due to lack of space in the old aviary (8 m3 inside and 35 m3 outside), and moving them into this large walk-though aviary might help in this aspect and thus create a functioning family unit. A second young pair has been created recently and stays in parrot aviaries.
 
Thank you Jana for this very well-documented update !
I wish more zoos would start investing in the specie and a breeding program got set up.
 
A new fish species: 5 Black ghost knifefish (Apteronotus albifrons) 20-30 cm long have arrived from Hodonin zoo. They are on show in one tank in Malá Amazonie pavilion.
 
Update on binturongs - none of the December newborns survived.

The zoo plans to close permanently the old monkey house this year, it should be demolished.

Two new primate enclosures will open in late spring (probably May) where animals from the old monkey house will move to. Planned species are white-cheeked gibbons, lion-tailed macaques, hog deer, tree shrew and Chinese crocodile lizard.
 
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