Prague Zoo is a beautiful piece of nature located at the bottom part of the Prague, in Troja district. History of breeding of exotic animals in Prague is much older than it looks, it goes back to the first kings periods. By visiting the Prague Zoo you are also entering into another world. Prague Zoo has the modern facilities, which create good conditions for both visitors and the animals.
The animals here live in very nice pavilions and it is really amazing how much space they have available. The pride of the ZOO is a newly built Indonesian jungle pavilion, tiger and predators pavilions, and a house of African gorillas. Very interesting exhibitions are also an aviary for birds of prey, pavilion of big mammals, the giraffe area and polar bears pavilion.
But the Prague Zoo is probably mainly proud of a unique breed of rare Przewalski’s horses. The main task of zoos is to protect species and help in their reproduction and Prague Zoo is involved in the reintroduction of Przewalski’s horses. Przewalski’s Horse lives in the wild only in Mongolia, and even there it was last observed during the scientific expedition sometimes in the 50’s of the 20th century. Prague Zoo maintains the world’s oldest studbook for this species and has successfully bred dozens of foals that have been released into protected reserves in Mongolia, China, and Kazakhstan. This conservation success story is one of the zoo’s proudest achievements and demonstrates the vital role that modern zoos play in preserving endangered species for future generations.
Natural evolution
During its existence, the Prague Zoo has undergone many changes and has made great development. In its opening in 1931 Zoo had about 300 animals and was spread on an area of only 8 hectares. It gradually expanded, but still retains the quality.
Prague Zoo was very affected by floods in 2002. A large number of animals were killed and many buildings were damaged. After the floods, ZOO has undergone extensive refurbishment and now it is a very modern and popular zoo. The symbol of those floods is a sea lion Guston, who in 2002 got into the river and was caught up in Dresden, Germany. Unfortunately the seal lion died on its way back to ZOO.
The Indonesian Jungle Pavilion and Other Highlights
During the reconstruction of the Prague Zoo, several interesting and unique buildings were built here. These include also the most expensive pavilion in the history of the Czech Zoos – Indonesian jungle. The pavilion was opened in 2004 instead of 50-year-old monkey pavilion. The pavilion has an elliptical shape of the greenhouse, which creates the impression of the jungle. Inside, visitors can see the orangutans, gibbons or lizards.
The Indonesian jungle pavilion is a world-class facility that cost over 200 million Czech koruna to build. It maintains a tropical climate year-round, with carefully controlled humidity and temperature that replicate the conditions of a Southeast Asian rainforest. The immersive design allows visitors to walk through the habitat at multiple levels, observing the animals from different angles as they move through the lush vegetation. The success of this pavilion has inspired further developments, including plans for a similar South American tropical exhibit.
Other interesting sites in the Prague Zoo include complex of monkey islands, children’s zoo (where kids may even feed the animals), African pavilion and lots of other new pavilions. Prague Zoo is growing rapidly, so in the near future we can look forward to another interesting enclosures and pavilions. The zoo now covers more than 58 hectares of land and houses over 5,000 animals representing nearly 700 species from across the globe. Its reputation has grown steadily over the decades, earning it a place in the top tier of zoological institutions worldwide.
How to get there
Prague Zoo is one of the places where you can spend pleasant moments with your children. You can come here by your own car, or you can take a bus from the subway station Holešovice. A pleasant experience can be already a trip to the zoo by a ferry across Prague. The zoo is open every day of the year, including public holidays, and offers discounted admission for children, students, and seniors. Family tickets are also available, making it an affordable day out for visitors of all ages. The zoo grounds are spacious and well-maintained, with plenty of seating areas, picnic spots, and food outlets scattered throughout the site.
For more information, visit official website of Prague Zoo.
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