Article translated: Vzácné antilopy z Ostravy se stanou základem nového chovu v ruských zoo - Novinky - Novinky - O zoo - Zoo Ostrava "Rare antelopes from Ostrava will become the basis of new breeding herd of Nile Lechwe in Russian zoos 12/17/2020 Last Thursday, a rare load of six Nile lechwes from Czech zoos arrived at the zoo in Kazan, Russia, which should lay the foundation for a new breeding of these very endangered antelopes in Russian zoos. The whole event was initiated by the Ostrava Zoo, which provided a total of four females to expand the breeding. The Ostrava females were supplemented by two males from the partner Jihlava Zoo and the Prague Zoo, so that the base of the herd was unrelated to each other. Although the lechwe is one of the rarest antelopes in the world, its breeding in zoos is relatively successful. However, the potential of European zoos is already full. In addition, as the current pandemic shows, the population of a rare species on a single continent can be very vulnerable. Therefore, it is necessary to search for zoos on other continents and build new reserve populations there. "Thanks to the long-term cooperation of the Ostrava Zoo with the Kazan Zoo in the Russian Federation, our zoo proposed to place this species in Kazan as the basis for the future population in Russian zoos. In close cooperation with the coordinator of European breeding (EEP) in Rome, we selected suitable individuals and sent the first six lechwes to Russia, "describes Jan Pluháček, a researcher at the Ostrava Zoo. Although Kazan Zoo, along with several other zoos in Russia, is a valid member of the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA), the transport of ungulates, including antelopes, between the European Union and neighboring countries is not easy due to strict veterinary measures on both sides. This is also the reason why this rare species has been missing in Russian zoos so far. As with all other rare animals heading to other zoos, lechwes have been moved free of charge. The preparation of the transport was quite demanding, as Kazan is 2,500 km away from Ostrava. The transport led by road to the airport in Frankfurt am Main, then by air to Moscow and finally again by road from Moscow to Kazan. Everything went according to plan. Thanks to thorough preparation and arrangement of customs and veterinary formalities, all animals arrived at their new place in order. The Nile lechwe (Kobus megaceros) is the rarest of the five species of African Waterbuck Antelopes. It occurs only in northern South Sudan and western Ethiopia. Only two larger populations are known in the Machar-Gambela area and in the Zeraf reserve, which includes swamps on the west bank of the White Nile. The total number of these antelopes in the wild does not exceed 5,000, and as this is an area ravaged by almost continuous armed conflicts over the last hundred years, the fate of this species is very uncertain. The danger of this area is also the reason why nothing is known about wild ecology of Nile lechwes. Its breeding in zoos is important not only for conservation but also for research. Currently, this species is kept by 40 zoos in the world in a total of 447 animals. Most of them (271 individuals) can be seen in European zoos. Ostrava Zoo has been breeding Nile lechwe since 2016, the current herd has nine individuals and further births are expected at the turn of the year."
