Aardwolves and a New Bororo Reserve: Prague Zoo Opens its 95th Season

Cutting the ribbon of the Wildlife in the Zoo exhibition. Seen here are the curator of mammals Pavel Brandl (left), Prague Zoo Director Lenka Poliaková and the curator of reptiles and amphibians Petr Velenský. Photo: Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

The programme further included the opening of the Wildlife at the Zoo exhibition, showcasing fascinating photos of wild animals that live freely within the zoo grounds, as well as the burial of a time capsule, in cooperation with the magazine ABC, the contents of which will only see the light of day in 2050. Another piece of excellent news was also revealed: two Sri Lankan elephant females are expecting calves.

In her opening speech, Lenka Poliaková, director of Prague Zoo, said, “The same bust of Prague Zoo’s founder, Professor Janda, that can be seen at the Ants' Corner, peers at me in the office where I work. Today, for a change, I was staring at the bust and pondering what he would say about today’s zoo. Janda spent thirty years building and disseminating the idea that Prague needs a zoo. I believe that every day is proof that the professor was right back then. I also believe that he would be very proud today.”

The new director also pointed out that her mandate’s main focus is on the employees and improving the working environment. However, she did not forget to mention a number of new features for the zoo’s visitors, which Prague Zoo has been constructing or refurbishing over the winter season. She mentioned the Bororo Reserve, which opened today, the Hanuman playground for smaller children, the new refreshments stand by the otters, and the Oceán restaurant’s new terrace.

The Mayor of Prague, Bohuslav Svoboda, who was also present at the ceremony, said, “Our zoo is consistently rated as one of the best in the world. Every year, the number of visitors to Prague who want to see Prague Zoo increases. I shouldn't really be saying this, but since I’m the Mayor of Prague, I will. It's just as attractive here as it is at the Castle.” He went on to add, “I also welcome the new director. I firmly believe that she has made a good choice, and she knew full well what she was getting into. This is a belief that, if it comes true, will continue to endow us with a beautiful zoo that people from all over the world will come to see.”

Jana Komrsková, Deputy Mayor for the Environment, said, “Prague Zoo is a gem that deserves to be cared for. As the founding body, we are glad to be a part of that care. Prague Zoo is built on its employees and the new director, Lenka Poliaková, is a kind of guiding force for them. I want to thank everyone for their great work, especially after this challenging period. Now, however, it’s necessary to look to the future and to all the new features the zoo has prepared for the upcoming season.”

The opening ceremony for Prague Zoo’s 95th season. From right: Prague Zoo Director Lenka Poliaková, Deputy Mayor Jana Komrsková, Mayor of Prague Bohuslav Svoboda and compere Jan Kovařík. Photo: Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo 

The Wildlife at the Zoo exhibition was launched during the opening ceremony. It presents the most interesting photos of the wild animals living within the zoo grounds. They were mainly taken by the zoo’s employees. The unique photographs capture a diverse range of metropolitan animals, from night herons, common kingfishers and European ground squirrels to European green lizards and dice snakes, and even the Eurasian hoopoe and the European rhinoceros beetle.

Petr Velenský, curator of reptiles and amphibians and one of the exhibition photographers, reminded us that, “The most important species are the European green lizard and the dice snake. In the last twenty years we have taken several targeted steps to help these rare animals, from revitalising the rocky slope to educating the public. On a local level, we have brought the green lizard from the brink of extinction to a stable and viable population.”

The Wildlife in the Zoo photography exhibition will run for several months at the zoo’s Education Centre and is included in the standard zoo admission. Photo: Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

Another item in the programme was the burial of the ABC magazine time box in Veselovský Meadow in the zoo’s lower grounds. It contained hundreds of messages from the magazine’s readers as well as visitors to Prague Zoo, alongside various objects. For Prague Zoo, these were represented by photos of its employees and contemporary promotional items.

Zdeněk Ležák, ABC magazine’s long-standing editor-in-chief, said, “The previous time capsule withstood the onslaught of two massive floods, so we chose to make it out of the same material and place it in the same location. When we dig up the capsule in a quarter of a century, I believe that the world will be very different, but ABC will continue to exist in some form, although perhaps not on paper. I also believe that I will meet many of you here for the occasion.”

ABC magazine's time capsule is lowered into a 140-centimetre-deep pit in Veselovský Meadow in the zoo’s lower grounds. Photo: Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

The last item in the programme was the introduction of some new animal species. People can already see the aardwolves in their enclosure in the zoo’s upper grounds. Prague Zoo received the young animals from its colleagues at the Safari Park Dvůr Králové. The aardwolf differs quite significantly from other hyenas. While its relatives are active predators or scavengers, the aardwolf specialises almost exclusively in termites. It collects them by licking them directly from the surface of the soil using its tongue. Thanks to its excellent sense of smell and hearing, it can even find an inhabited termite mound in the dark and can eat more than a hundred thousand termites in a single night.

The aardwolf’s distinguishing feature is a long mane reaching from the neck to the tail. When threatened, the aardwolf raises it, thereby making it appear visually larger to deter predators and avoid a potential conflict. However, the bristling of the fur also indicates excitement and plays a role in communication between individuals. It inhabits sub-Saharan Africa and is rarely kept in zoos.

Prague Zoo will gradually introduce the other species that were mentioned on the day over the coming spring. These include Saharan striped polecats, the blue coua and the great kiskadee, as well as the Papuan ground boa.

Over 6,000 visitors came to the zoo for the opening. Besides the aforementioned activities, visitors enjoyed making insect hotels, face painting, and the popular commented feedings.

An aardwolf was briefly kept at Prague Zoo in 1958 and 1959. Now, visitors can find a pair of these fascinating beasts in an enclosure in the upper part of the zoo, between the Eurasian wolves and brown hyenas. Photo: Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo