A Handsom Young Bison to Add Zest to Local Herd

Bison have been bred in the Prague Zoo for a long time. Today’s herd has a new young addition. Photo: Tomáš Adamec, Prague Zoo

Prague Zoo has bred bison almost since its establishment. The first one came in 1932. Today there are three adult females  living at the upper part of the Zoo – Pristine, Priscilla, and Božena, together with their grown up calves called Praha and Beatrice.

He will be a majestic male

“The breeding bull Tipito, who arrived from Berlin, is going to replace the older male from Amsterdam. The aim is to rejuvenate the herd and its breeding lines which is necessary for the closed groups of animals in captivity,” Miroslav Bobek, the Zoo director, explained. The transport went well; although only a year-and-a-half of age, the bull was calm. “In the following days we will introduce him to our females. Due to his youth he is still rather small, however, his constitution suggests that he will grow to be a majestic bull when full grown,” Barbora Crkvová, a curator of ungulates in the Prague Zoo, added.

Young to go to the wild

European bison breeding is crucial for their survival in the wild. They were virtually extinct by the early 1920s. Prague Zoo has repeatedly contributed to their return to the Bieszczady National Park in Poland. The first transport occurred in 2005, followed by others in 2006 and 2011. The Zoo has already released six bison into the wild.. “In partnership with the Polish National Park we strive to continue with this work and we would like to strengthen  the wild herds of bison by Tipito’s offspring,” Mr Bobek said.