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The most easterly provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo are still dealing with the consequences of the influx of refugees from neighbouring Rwanda, during the 1994 genocide there, and the tragedies of the two subsequent Congolese wars. These have yet to die down fully and have led to the so-called ‘Kivu conflict’,...
Although the temperatures outside are just a few degrees above zero, Prague Zoo’s keepers are already ending the terrarium inhabitants’ brumation by gradually increasing the light and warming up the exhibits. The reptiles are waking up from their winter rest and for them spring is all about colourful courtship.
This Egyptian vulture, named after the Persian goddess Anahita, has become a symbol of both tragedy and hope. After leaving its nest in the Bulgarian Rhodopes to travel to Africa, it was shot in Lebanon. However, thanks to the efforts of local conservationists, it was rescued and has found a new home at Prague Zoo where, with...
The scientific paper published last year by Timothy T. Taylor and Christina I. Barrón-Ortiz may not have a very catchy title – Rethinking the Evidence for Early Horse Domestication at Botai – however, it is very interesting. After reading it, I remembered one of my favourite kaleidoscopes. Simply turn it around and the...
At first it reminded me a bit of the tale The Fall of the Votický Family in Karel Čapek's Tales from Two Pockets. In it, Dr. Mejzlik, a police officer, is visited by Mr. Divíšek, an archivist, who asks him to help him with his work on the reign of King George of Poděbrady; specifically, the sinister goings on at Votica...
The covid-19 pandemic also adversely affected Prague Zoo in 2021. For the first 101 days of the year the zoo was completely closed, in the following weeks and months it was forced to come to terms with various restrictions and for a long time it had no foreign tourists. Thanks to the large interest from Czech visitors during the...