News

News
Indian crested porcupine (Hystrix indica) in Prague Zoo. Photo: Miroslav Bobek

Porcupine’s spines are an item in demand, weather as a souvenir, or a material for fishing floats. However, when I visited the Archives of the City of Prague, I discovered to my surprise that the restorers also use them when cleaning the bindings of old books. Lo and behold! I immediately offered that our zoo would become...

The western lowland gorilla, one of Prague Zoo’s flagship species, will be at the exhibition. Source: Garden of Lights

More and more animals and plants are gradually being added to Prague Zoo’s lower grounds. This is the Zoo of Light project, which is being readied by a company called Garden of Lights. The Zoo of Light will include lanterns of 33 species of animals totalling 110 specimens, as well as plants, projections on the ground or...

Six months old Gaia in Prague Zoo. Photo Miroslav Bobek

Today the female gorilla Gaia is exactly six months old. To have current pictures of her for this opportunity, I went to take her photos ahead of time.

Karlík with his young partner. Photo: Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo

This time I missed Humboldt penguins in their most noticeable courtship, part of which is a loud honking. I have, however, taken a lot of photos of the individual pairs collecting material for nest linings and showing affection to each other. The head keeper Kuba Mezei then identified them to me, so it came out that I also took...

The main celebration of Prague Zoo’s 93rd anniversary since its opening was held in front of the Gobi exhibition - from right: moderator Jan Kovařík, Prague Zoo’s director Miroslav Bobek, deputy mayor Jana Komrsková, Mayor of Prague Bohuslav Svoboda, the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the Czech Republic Bakyt Dyussenbayev and the Ambassador of Mongolia to the Czech Republic Gansukh Khashkhan Damdin with his interpreter. Photo Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

On September 28th, Prague Zoo celebrated its 93rd birthday and looked back at 65 years of managing the International Stud Book for the Przewalski’s Horse, which it has been doing since 1959. This event was opened in front of the Gobi exhibition, newly opened this year, by the ambassadors of Mongolia and Kazakhstan, the Mayor...

The first tiger keelbacks came to Prague Zoo in late 2023 and from 2024 visitors can see them in the Terrarium. Photo Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

Prague Zoo’s visitors can now see tiger keelbacks that are rarely kept in zoos. These brightly coloured reptiles are fascinating, due to both their colour and because they are venomous and poisonous. Their venom is toxic, and is injected into their prey’s body, however, because they eat toads, they absorb other toxins, which...

The Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Australia, Her Excellency Jana Tyrer, visited Darwin Crater—the home of Prague’s wombats—to mark the occasion of Prague Zoo’s financial support for the Australian non-profit organisation Wombat Rescue. Photo Oliver Le Que, Zoo Praha

Wild living wombats are threatened by scabies, which spread to Australia from Europe 200 years ago. It currently infects about 70 per cent of all wild common wombats. If not treated, scabies is fatal. This is why Prague Zoo has given financial support to the non-profit organisation Wombat Rescue, which rescues wombats around the...

As with other species of elephant shrew, the black and rufous elephant shrew has a strikingly elongated snout resembling a trunk, which is almost constantly moving. Photo Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

Prague Zoo is the first Czech zoo to breed black and rufous elephant shrews. Also known as sengi, these small African mammals have a bizarre appearance. The two newborns are the result of several years of attempts to breed them. Although elephant shrews may at first glance resemble rodents or shrews, they are in the ancient...

Johanka overcame her difficult start in life and now she enjoys the outdoor run. Photo Oliver Le Que, Prague Zoo

The keepers have named the little female Nubian giraffe Johanka. Prague Zoo unveiled the name today at the viewpoint by the African House. Current and former female basketball players also wished the little giraffe all the best for her future. Johanka’s godmothers were Ilona Burgrová, Ivana Večeřová and Karolína Cahová.

The male came to Prague Zoo from Paris, the female from Germany. Photo Oliver Le Que, Prague Zoo

Fossas have settled in at Prague Zoo’s Feline and Reptile House. In the wild these fascinating beasts can only be found in the African country of Madagascar. Prague Zoo’s visitors can now observe both a male and female of the largest carnivore on this tropical island. It is hoped they will form a breeding pair in the future.