Czech prime minister Petr Fiala christens a Przewalski’s foal

The month-old mare Barunka can be seen in the large paddock at Dívčí hrady, which is managed by Prague Zoo, together with her five-year-old mother Khamiina and five other horses. Photo Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

“The conservation of the Przewalski’s horse has a great tradition in the Czech Republic thanks to Prague Zoo, which has always played a major role in it. I was personally present in Astana when Director Bobek signed a Memorandum of Cooperation between Prague Zoo and the Kazakh Ministry of Ecology to participate in expanding Przewalski’s horses in the Central Asian region, specifically in Kazakhstan. Now I am pleased to be able to christen the first foal born at Dívčí hrady. This is because, in the future, Barunka may well set off for the land of her ancestors, to the steppes of Kazakhstan,” said Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala during the christening.

He chose the name Barunka because, as he went on to inform, it meets the annually changing criterion of naming all newborn foals with a common initial letter – this year it is the letter “B” – and also because it is a nice Czech name that has many meanings for Czechs. To give a few examples, the Prime Minister recalled the patron saint of children, St Barbara, as well as the character of Barunka from Božena Němcová’s book Grandmother, who, according to him, represents joy, childhood and a happy adolescence.

The month-old mare Barunka can be seen in the large paddock at Dívčí hrady, which is managed by Prague Zoo, together with her five-year-old mother Khamiina and five other horses. Photo Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

To mark the christening, Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo’s director, pointed out that Prague Zoo has been and is significantly involved in the reintroduction of Przewalski's horses to Mongolia. As a matter of fact, it received the WAZA Conservation Award, the highest award given by the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

“After successfully reintroducing the horse to western Mongolia, we are preparing to expand our project to the east of the country. Prior to that, we will return the Przewalski's horses to Kazakhstan. In this context, I would like to thank Prime Minister Fiala, because, thanks to his support, it is very likely that we will transport the first ‛Przewalski’s’ there next year,” said Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo’s director, outlining the plans for the future.

In the meantime, a modern paddock and housing for Przewalski’s horses is being built near the cable car’s upper station. The exhibition will not only present them as one of Prague Zoo’s iconic species, but it will also show off other Mongolian fauna, such as Pallas’s cats, also known as manuls, and steppe reptiles.