News

News
Omega (pictured), a two-year-old breeding female, settled into her enclosure back in September.  Photo: Oliver Le Que, Prague Zoo

Thanks to Prague Zoo’s “Bison in Prague” project, Europe's largest land mammals will once again roam free in Dolní Počernice. The herd of three female European bison will soon be joined by a bull, who is on his way from Finland. Together, they will both enlarge the species’ numbers, it almost became extinct! They will...

The baby guereza can be seen during the zoo’s opening hours. Visitors are most likely to spot it on the tummy or lap of its mother Lebamba or ‘aunt’ Nyianga. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

A baby mantled guereza was born at Prague Zoo. This is the first time the Dja Reserve has had a birth of these African monkeys. It is also Prague's first baby of this the rarer kikuyuensis subspecies, which the zoo has been keeping since the start of the year. In contrast to its black-and-white parents, the baby is snow-white,...

Opening ceremony of the 94th annual Prague Zoo celebration. From right: Deputy Mayor of Prague for the Environment Jana Komrsková, Mayor of Prague Bohuslav Svoboda, Director of Prague Zoo Miroslav Bobek and moderator Jan Kovařík. Photo: Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

On Sunday 28th, as is traditional, Prague Zoo celebrated the anniversary of its opening on Czech Statehood Day. A whole host of distinguished guests came to wish it a happy 94th birthday. The Mayor of Prague, Bohuslav Svoboda, and his deputy, Jana Komrsková, pointed out the successes the zoo has had in breeding and the ongoing...

In Latin, the capybara is known as the “water pig.” Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

Prague Zoo welcomed the offspring of one of today’s most popular animal species – the capybara. The world’s largest rodent has gained extraordinary popularity in recent years, especially on social media. All four young capybaras can already be seen in the Water World and Monkey Islands exhibit, located in the lower part of Prague Zoo.

During my short stay at the very east of Mongolia, in the Valley of Monasteries, I could not get enough of the diversity of steppe flowers and the richness of insect. I quickly captured at least some representatives of local flora and fauna on my mobile phone, so that I could remember and identify them later.

The kittens born in the first week of July are only the seventh and eighth jaguarundis born in the history of Prague Zoo. Their sex is not yet known. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

Together they play, lurk and test their parents’ patience. Visitors to the Prague Zoo can now see two adorable jaguarundi kittens. Although the Prague Zoo has been breeding these South American felines since the 1990s, this is the first time you can see twins carrying the “fox gene”. Jaguarundi are naturally found in...

A female wild camel in the orange light of the sunrise. Photo: Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo

The last time I was in Toli Bulag, deep in the Mongolian steppe, was many years ago with Mongolian conservationist Adiya and the Deputy Director for Zoology of our zoo Jaroslav Šimek. I can’t even remember exactly, when it was. At that time, we visited Toli Bulag to assess if this locality, whose name could be translated as...

The contrasting chestnut coat with white stripes and spots helps mountain bongos hide in dense undergrowth. Rayli’s newborn calf. Photo by Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo

In Prague Zoo, two mountain bongo males were born: the first on August 6th and the second on August 18th. Both can now be seen in the enclosure next to the hippo pavilion. These are very rare additions, as the mountain bongo is considered the most beautiful but also the rarest antelope: only around thirty to forty individuals...

Ceremonial handover of an off-road vehicle and motorbike. From left: S. Dalaitseren, employee at We Help Them to Survive—Mongolia, D. Naranbaatar, Director of the Nömrög National Park, Miroslav Bobek, E. Byambajargal, Governor of Khalkhgol District, Veronika Kapišovská, a Mongolist, P. Itgeltögs, Chairman of the District Council, O. Ganbaatar, Director of We Help Them to Survive—Mongolia. Photo: David Broda, Prague Zoo

A surprise awaited us during our August visit to Khalkhgol, Mongolia’s easternmost province. After the director of the Nömrög National Park, D. Naranbaatar, had received the new Land Cruiser 79 from us, which will help when building the reintroduction centre for Przewalski’s horses in the Valley of Monasteries, he...

Achilles the Sumatran tiger making one of his first trips to the outdoor enclosure at the Feline and Reptile House. Photo Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

Prague Zoo has introduced its new Sumatran tiger. Nine-year-old Achilles arrived from Howletts Wild Animal Park in England to join four-year-old female Surya. It is hoped they will have cubs here in Prague. The charismatic Londoner likes to observe his surroundings from raised platforms, when bathing he enters the water with his...