African Savannah at Prague, 24/05/10

Right, I'll add becoming a zoo director/curator to my to-do list!

Rhinos are one of the key species missing from Prague, and they should definitely add them to the collection, but I'm not sure about walrus, that seems like a weird choice.

Is Prague Zoo attempting to reorganise its collection to reflect biogeographic zones? Or will the new species be kept wherever there is room (presumably by the old elephant house mostly).

There is a plan to go more into geografical zones. But not 100% of the zoo area. Like the next project will be new aviaries area with large parrots, from several continents, side by side. But there is also plan for smaller geografical zones, the area around bisons should turn into US great planes. The area behind amur tigers will get high-north species (polar bears, walrus etc.). The area from pinguins to pelicans will turn into Amazonia. The Australian area will be expanded etc.

This sounds like a good plan. Will these new parrot aviaries hold some of the species displaced when the aviaries between the Large Mammal Pavilion and Penguin Pavilion are demolished for Amazonia? Where will these aviairies be built?

The new aviaries will be built on the road from red panda to the giant vulture aviary, instead of the small old bird cages (built 1931 when the zoo was opened for the first time). The planned species are hyazinth and lear macaws, keas, rare amazons etc. The zoo hasn t released info which bird species from the demolished part will leave the zoo or just move within the zoo or go backstage.

After the recent discussion on this photo it seems appropriate that the giraffe house at Prague Zoo has recently been featured on Zoolex.

ZooLex Exhibit

I got the zoolex site recent email, it looks a very good lay out, but i wonder is this the only viewing area for the exhibit? all the photos seam to look in the same direction.
dean

Yes, all the viewing is at this end of the paddock.

Presumably when the gorilla pavilion is finally finished there will be viewing from the west as well.

@Jana How are things looking now in regards to this. Still no Manatees, Walrus of Rhino. When will the polar bear enclosure be updated? It really looks rather average.

@Cat-Man Prague always has great plans that however fails to realise.

Manatees plans (in former elephant house) sit on ice, no money. Walrus has been cancelled altogether. Indian rhino should replace bisons in next few years. New polar bear enclosure is in plans but inflation of construction material has exploded the budget so the zoo is scrambling to find more funds.