African Savannah at Prague, 24/05/10

With Rothschild\'s Giraffes, Common Eland, Beisa Oryx, Scimitar-horned Oryx, Blesbok, Kafue Lechwe and Ostrich.

Beautiful setting.

That is quite a line-up of species, and is this savanna about 10-12 acres in size? Allen Nyhuis, co-author of "America's Best Zoos", visited Prague in both 2007 and 2011 and he was delighted with what he saw. He always sends me reviews of his visits and it is a top 5 European zoo in his estimation. The only complaint? Prague lacks a true superstar species such as giant panda, koala or manatee.

Interesting that two species of Oryx are kept together. How is hybridisation avoided ?

At the time I took this there were only female Beisa; not sure about the Scimitar-horneds. As of September 2012 the Scimitar-horneds are now in a separate paddock.

All Scimitar-horned Oryxes are castrated males. So no hybrids.

It may just be me but this looks like farmland with African hoofstock. I'm sure the animals love it though.

It is obviously untrue from the photo that they lack a true superstar species - they have a whole herd of giraffes!

I remember thinking on my visit how awesome it would be to live in that house on the hill, looking down over the Savannah paddock. You can probably also see some of the new elephant enclosure from there, and some of the Northern exhibits.

The lone house on the hill is owned by the zoo. After a luxurious reconstruction last year, its rooms are used for VIP zoo guests. So zooboy28, you just need to become a zoo director/curator/keeper and get a work invitation by Prague zoo, to sleep there for free.

Prague zoo plans to add some high-profile species. But no giant pandas, koalas or dolphins for sure. Manatees would come in 5 years, walrosses and rhinos in 7-10 years and bonobos and okapis in 10-12 years.