Prague Zoo Praha Prague Zoo News 2023

A while ago Prague posted a detailed report about the death of elephant calf Amalee on their website:

ttps://www.zoopraha.cz/aktualne/novinky-u-zvirat/13942-podrobna-zprava-o-uhynu-sloni-samicky-amalee

The automatic engish translation works well so everyone can read it without knowing czech language.

But the report is distressing, it seems they werent prepared at all for an EEHV outbreak and their response was way too slow. The disease was diagnosed only after Amalee fell sick, so obviously Prague didn`t have a program of routine monitoring and early detection in place. The report says she seemed a bit off on Monday and Tuesday, but no EEHV test was performed. She was definately sick on Wednesday, but the zoo wasted precious hours and only started EEHV treatment (plasma transfusion, antiviral medication) in the night after confirmation of the diagnosis. She died just shortly later. The delay in diagnosis was partly caused by her refusal to take part in blood drawing on Wednesday morning, but considering how dangerous EEHV is and how fast it kills, they should have knocked her down for blood taking immediately that morning, or even better the day before when she refused training for the first time.

I am just hoping and praying that they are now preparing themselves to improve diagnosis and treatment if the second calf falls sick with EEHV too (which is very likely, sadly).

 

Update on pangolin:

1st baby pangolin in Europe born in Prague zoo, doing well

 

Have forgotten to mention that I had seen two species for the first time on show during last visit:

- a Mekong snail-eating turtle (Malayemys subtrijuga) in entrance rondel of Indonesian house
- group of Banded spiny-tailed lizards (Uromastyx dispar flavifasciata) in first tank in small African house, opposite to Yellow-spotted rock hyrax exhibit

And, for how long are Red-whiskered bulbuls flying free in Indonesian house again? I had thought the zoo gave up on free-flying birds here due to pig-tailed macaques being too successfull in bird hunting.

 

I thought that bulbuls never left, I saw them during all of my visits.

 

I havent seen them for a long time thus I posted my question.

 

An echidna puggle hatched in January.

The baby indian takin younster is a female.

Indian star tortoises have new hatchlings.

Prague zoo keeps a pair of adult star tortoises that were seized maybe a decade ago from illegal private holder. They were thus unplanned aquision for the zoo - with nowhere to go on display at first. Then they were placed into the Kattakum desert exhibit in cat house. It is basically a huge sand dune with a few dead tree branches and high-desert lizard species. The tank is connected to outside space air via ventilation system but also has powerfull heating system. This allows to simulate extreme oscilation of temperatures and humidity between night and day and during summer and winter seasons, mimicking Central Asian deserts. Our star tortoises pair adapted well and bred regularly. And then the tortoises got moved into gharial house. From desert right into tropical house with deep and large water basin taking majority of space. And they again adapted well, enjoying their swimming lessons with gharials and they continue to reproduce. It shows how plastic and all-rounded this species is.

 

Prague Zoo has Mishmi takins

 

I am sorry if this has been asked before or if this diverts the topic too much but I wanted to ask the best time of day to view the Brown Hyenas at Prague as I plan to visit later in the year (first time) and they are the main animals I wish to view, along with the Pangolins.

 

I am usually lucky in afternoon (around 3 or 4 pm? but take me with grain of salt, there are far bigger experts around)

 

When I visited Prague the Brown Hyaenas were active all day. I went straight to their enclosure on arrival (it was quite a hike) and they were out, later in the day I passed them again and they were still out and active.

 

Tallies with my experience too - rushed straight to them, they were busy and active. Went to see them twice more and they were still out. I'm going to Prague Zoo this Sunday, so will let you know if and what time I see them.

 

Now, there isn´t even need for hiking steep hill, if you don´t want, new entry at Gorilla house/Dja isn´t far from hyenas enclosure

 

When I went last year I saw the hyenas at around 11 in morning of a Monday, which is when there was a keeper talk and feeding. I do not know how old these hyenas are but they were pretty active during the feeding. However I do not know if the keeper talk is still going on or if the feeding only occurs once a week.

 

Hyenas get public feeding, only during summer months, every day with exception of Sundays and Thursdays, at 11 am. Outside this feeding, they are most active in later afternoon. You can find public feeding time written on poster just before zoo entrance. Check their website (or post here) few days before your visit.

 

Thank you everyone for your responses and help, I am very excited to see them. I hope to go in the Summer.

I am assuming the keeper talks are not in English?

 

Negatory. When I was there the feeding happened during the talk so you can just focus on the hyenas if you wish to.

Edit: if there are any other talks/feeding that may be considered essential, then it is (in mo opinion) the Tasmanian devil feeding. I only say this because I had a hard time seeing them on my visit, so the talk would be the one of the best times to see it.

 

That's fine! I don't mind, just wondered.

 

Having visited this year, the brown hyena wasn't visible in the morning, however, I did spot one individual (Can anybody clarify if they have more than one?) in the afternoon. The male pangolin is currently the only on-show animal at the moment, he was visible but asleep in the morning and then active during the afternoon, I believe feeding time/talk is around 3.30pm - around this time was when I visited the Tasmanian devils which weren't visible through the day aside from this time as I believe the talk which occurs (In Czech) is around 2:30-3:00pm.

 

I saw 2 brown hyenas in separate habitats when I visited last November - around late afternoon

 

Prague keeps a pair of hyenas. Male Pláša and female Jubari. Jubari came from Port Lympne in 2011. Pláša is wild born and imported from Africa. His name can be translated into shy/skittish and perfectly describes his character, he doesnt like to show himself.