02-09-2008
I'm going to translate bits of stories which are not included in english version on the zoo site.
Sea Lions - they were swimming calmly in their exhibit until a viewing footbridge flew into their exhibit and they panicked and left. The pregnant female (keepers were suspicious about it but thought that if she was preganant she would lost it ; well apparently not) returned in a while. Others escape into the Vltava river. Mother of the three month old male (which was evacuated in advance just in case) was saved from under a bridge where she was stuck among branches and other floating things. The last female was cought by fire squad and already had inflammated eye. And Gaston was caught in Lutterstadt near Dresden. Apparantly exhausted. Died even before he crossed borders between Czech rep. and Germany.
Rhinos - female Pongola was evacuated without problems but male Patrys was shot at second attempt and then lay down with his head under water, so they had to hold his head above while they preparing carring harness. Then in the air he almost overbalanced.
Elephants - I have to correct myself - Gulab, the older Asian female run away few meters and only Sabi the African one hadn't left the enclosure before. I made a mistake in one of my previous comments.
Kádira - there was no box which he wouldn't destroy; even if any helicopter could lift him, he could be put to sleep only for around 90 minutes otherwise his weight would damage his organs in a fatal way; and most importantly there were no exhibit for a fully grown elephant bull at the time; even a destruction of a wall between his exhibit and exhibit of the females was considered but the explosion would be too risky and then a hippo occured there - later it became obviuos it wouldn't be high enough; a ponton putted down by helicopter would let him free if the water would keep rising - and it turned out to be technically impossible.
I think I summed up the main things. This was really emotional to gather ti and read it all again.
Too bad the zoo don't have na unpdated english version of their web.
But the good source of the main news about Zoo Prague in English is Prague Zoo | ABC Prague sometimes they make a mistake but generaly it is ok.
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