Sri-Lankan rusty spotted cats have now two kittens, both female, born last month. Very tiny and very adorable.
Two night active hyrax species bred. Article. One western tree hyrax (Dendrohyrax dorsalis) cub was born on 6.December in the night show-exhibit. Father is 2 years old and also bred at Ostrava, mother came from Leipzig zoo in 2019 and was originally confiscated animal from private keeper. Twin southern tree hyrax (Dendrohyrax arboreus) cubs were born 30.December off show. Also here the sex of the offspring is not known yet.
The Ostrava Municipality has started to accept applications for open position - a zoo director. Closing date is 26th February. Job starts on 1th April. (After the death of the former zoo director, the zoo has an interim director who is actually leader of the dendrological section and probably won´t get the spot due to lack of zoological education, my guess). The Ostrava Zoological and Botanical Garden is areal of 100 hectares with 450 captive animal species, from elephant breeding herd to rare killifish. Botanical section is still under intensive development but already great. The zoo is involved in many local species protection/reintroduction programs. The zoo areal itself has few old bad exhibits but the municipality is investing good money to replace them. New gibbon and macaque exhibits are currently under construction. With hectares of undeveloped land, it´s rare opportunity for creative solutions. Annual attendance is 500.000, catchment area (Upper Silesia agglomeration) is 3mio so a lot of space to grow.
That palm cockatoo chick is a bomb - a parent reared one!! In other news, Jana Pluháčková an employee of Zoo Ostrava has taken over the chimpanzee EEP. This program contains over 1000 chimpanzees kept at 139 zoos currently, including management of hybrids/unknown origin ones. A mammoth task.
They brought in a few West African chimps recently to set up a new group. Was not a baby born last year?
The zoo obtained a new parrot species earlier this year, a pair of Lilac-crowned Amazons (Amazona finschi).
The zoo has succeeded in breeding of Spotfin hatchetfish (Thoracocharax stellatus) with over 200 fish reared from several spawning events since last summer.
Ostrava zoo has new director, from 1st april - Jiří Novák. Has been deputy (?) of former director from 2014.
Yes, he is the head of the zoological department and one of deputy directors. He works at Ostrava zoo for 23 years and first started as a zoo keeper. The zoo received only 6 CVs for this position. He got voted unanimously by the commission composed of Ostrava City major, city officials, members of UCSZ (Czech and Slovak zoo union), Ministry of Environment (zoo licencing body) and state veterinary administration. Congratulations.
According to the zoos instagram already 8 Nile lechwes (Kobus megaceros) have been born at the zoo this year. Source: Instagram of Zoo Ostrava (15/04/2021) https://www.instagram.com/p/CNsWG8krlqd/
A new species is kept at the zoo, in former small cat complex - Tayra. A young female arrived from Dierenpark Zie-ZOO. The older breeding pair of Bearded vulture has a chick in nest that is planned to be released. The younger pair produced an egg but their chick died during hatching. Hooded vulture pair also has 1 chick in nest, 7 weeks old. Two pairs of Egyptian vulture are incubating eggs, also one pair of Griffon vulture is incubating its egg. Ostrava zoo sends its vulture chicks regularly to Balkan to be reintroduced to nature.
A new young male Asiatic lion male has arrived. 3 years old, from Frankfurt. The zoo also keeps an old lioness Kibu.
According to the Instagtram account of Ostrava Serval (Leptailurus serval) twins were born on the 13th of April. Source: Instagram of Ostrava Zoo (09/06/2021) https://www.instagram.com/p/CP3U-9WLfRE/
The zoo bred golden mahseer (Tor putitora) from several spawnings. The parent group living in one aquarium tank in himayan bear house (living mixed with black pond turtles) are still small fish around 50 cm long but they reached sexual maturity last year. The largest of the spawn are 10 cm long and ready to find new homes. Golden mahseer whose natural habitat is rapid crystal-clear rivers of Himalaya is an iconic but endangered cyprinid fish reaching 2 meters and nice golden colour of its fins.
Very interesting breeding success. Is it a first on the continent ? I wish more zoos dedicate efforts to breeding endangered freshwater fishes