Prague Zoo officially opened its new gorilla house – the Dja Reserve

The ribbon cutting ceremony in front of the Dja Reserve. From right. Prague Mayor Zdeněk Hřib, Deputy Mayor Jana Plamínková, actor couple Petr Štěpánek and Zlata Adamovská, singer Lucie Bílá, Prague Zoo’s director Miroslav Bobek, football player Karel Poborský, Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský. Photo by Khalil Baalbaki, Prague Zoo

“If someone had told me a few months ago that when the Dja Reserve opened we would be watching a new breeding male as he bonded with the daughter of the legendary Moja, I wouldn’t have believed it,” said Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo’s director. “And now here we are standing together, and the grand tale of Prague’s gorilla family is officially continuing in full view of the visitors,” Bobek continued, adding that now it is up to them, the visitors, as to how popular the pavilion will be.

Apart from the biggest celebrities, the gorilla family, the Dja Reserve has many other representatives of Central African fauna, especially primates. Some species will be returning to Prague Zoo after a very long time - for example, the brightly coloured De Brazza’s monkeys will once again be on display after a break of more than half a century.

“Prague Zoo is one of the best in the world and we want to keep it at the top in the future. Therefore, we are investing in its development. Apart from the most modern gorilla pavilion in the world, which is opening today, we are also planning a new Arctic pavilion. I would like to thank Mr. Bobek for preparing and seeing this project through,” said Prague’s Mayor, Zdeněk Hřib, prior to cutting the ribbon.

The erstwhile godparents of its construction, the actor couple Zlata Adamovská and Petr Štěpánek wished the pavilion and its inhabitants’ success. The footballer Karel Poborský, patron of the Wandering Bus project in Cameroon, was also present.

Prague Zoo’s Cameroonian collaborators, who are significantly involved in educational and conservation projects around the real Dja Biosphere Reserve, also made the long journey to the Czech Republic for the opening of the Prague Dja Reserve. “It’s amazing that such a well-thought-out and spectacular example of Cameroonian nature has been created in the centre of Europe. Personally, I was most impressed by the authentic African school classroom,” said Manfred E. Aimé, Director of Tropical Forest and Rural Development. “For me, this is a true reaffirmation of Prague Zoo’s commitment to biodiversity conservation, as well as the diligence of its staff,” he added.

This is Prague Zoo’s 15th pavilion to date, and it is also the largest ever. It takes visitors through the Cameroonian landscape: from the school and the agricultural landscape on the outskirts of a local village to the dense rainforest full of vegetation, sounds and, above all, its animal inhabitants. Along with the pavilion, a brand-new entrance to Prague Zoo was also opened, close to the Sklenářka bus stop.