News

News
Newcomers to Prague Zoo, the male, Kisumu, and the female, Duni, met the rest of the gorilla group. Visitors can now watch the six newly united primates in the Dja Reserve pavilion. Pictured from left: females Kijivu, Shinda and silverback male Kisumu. Photo Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo

Yesterday a big gorilla meeting took place at Prague Zoo without too much fuss. Newcomers Kisumu and Duni met the rest of the group - females Kijivu, Shinda, Kamba and Ajabu, a small male. After Monday’s minor quarrels, the situation is much calmer now. Visitors can observe the six freshly integrated gorillas in the Dja Reserve pavilion.

Small crucian carp before being released into the pond U Kamenného stolu in Vinoř, Prague. This is the first ever reintroduction of this species into the Czech countryside after it practically disappeared from it. Photo: Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo

As of today, approximately one hundred small crucian carp bred at Prague Zoo have been inhabiting the U Kamenného stolu pond in Prague’s Vinoř district. They were released by the staff of Prague Zoo, thus starting the long-planned reintroduction of this almost extinct species into the Czech countryside.

Presenting the Order of the Polar Star – Mongolia’s highest state decoration that can be received by a foreign national – to Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo’s Director. Photo: Malvína Kahleová, Prague Zoo

Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh awarded Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo’s director, the “Order of the Polar Star” – the highest state decoration a foreign national can receive. The president’s advisor, Erdenetsogt Odbayar, presented the Order on the president’s behalf, and thanked Mr Bobek for...

Female training on a special bar. This allows for a quiet examination, be it ultrasound or blood sampling, while the female feeds undisturbed. Photo Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

The female Chinese pangolin, Run Hou Tang, who has been living with the male, Guo Bao, in Prague Zoo since last April, is pregnant. This was confirmed by an ultrasound examination. If all goes well, Run Hou Tang will have her offspring sometime between mid-December and mid-January - and Prague Zoo will welcome the first-ever...

The ribbon cutting ceremony in front of the Dja Reserve. From right. Prague Mayor Zdeněk Hřib, Deputy Mayor Jana Plamínková, actor couple Petr Štěpánek and Zlata Adamovská, singer Lucie Bílá, Prague Zoo’s director Miroslav Bobek, football player Karel Poborský, Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský. Photo by Khalil Baalbaki, Prague Zoo

The Dja Reserve in Prague Zoo opened its gates to the public today. Visitors can now set off on a journey through the Cameroonian rainforest, where they will meet vervet monkeys, guerezas, fruit bats and, of course, western lowland gorillas. A new gorilla couple - the male Kisumu and the female Duni, daughter of our beloved Moja...

Last Friday afternoon, the CASA military plane that brought us the female gorilla Duni from Spain landed at Prague-Kbely airport. Another big step had been successfully completed – and we have to thank the Air Force of the Czech Army and the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic for the invaluable help they gave us.

Duni in Cabárceno in July 2022. So far, it is not possible to take pictures of her in Prague due to the quarantine conditions. Photo: Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo

To kick off with, I would like to express my deepest thanks to my colleagues, especially Jarda Šimek, Pavel Brandl, Roman Vodička and Martin Vojáček, as well as the command of the Czech Air Force and the 24th Air Transportation Base at Prague-Kbely, the general staff of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic and Ivan...

Male Kisumu (pictured left) and female Duni. Photo: Petr Hamerník a Khalil Baalbaki, Prague Zoo

I am sending this article to the editorial board from a three-hundred-kilometre-long journey to Schmiding Zoo in Upper Austria. We are going there to pick up Kisumu, who will become the silverback male in Prague Zoo’s new gorilla house. Our small convoy includes two air-conditioned vans. Kisumu will be travel in his transport...

The new gorilla pavilion, which also has a new entrance to the Prague Zoo, on an aerial photograph from the Hrachovka homestead. Photo: Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo

There are precisely 25 days until the opening of the Dja Reserve – Prague Zoo’s new gorilla house. This will be the culmination of many years of hard work, which has taken a large part of our lives.

Eda the Cape fur seal is now used to a complete veterinary examination. Pictured here at the dental check with head keeper Jakub Mezei. Photo Oliver Le Que, Prague Zoo

Under the careful supervision of Prague Zoo’s keepers, Eda the three-year-old male Cape fur seal has already mastered useful veterinary training such as getting into the transport crate and letting the keepers check his teeth, eyes and abdomen. He has also learnt to use the slide and greet the enthusiastic spectators with a...