Ever wonder where you can find over 5,000 animals in Prague? That’s right here at Prague Zoo. Opened in 1931, Prague Zoo was founded to advance the study of zoology. It also aimed to protect wildlife and educate the public.
Prague Zoo is located in the Troja district, north of Prague. The zoo occupies 58 hectares. Around 50 hectares are used for exhibits. You can find about 5,000 animals from 676 species here. Impressively, 132 species are listed as threatened.
Did you know that Forbes Travel Guide rated Prague Zoo as the seventh best zoo in the world in 2007? TripAdvisor ranked it fifth best worldwide. That’s quite an achievement.
Prague Zoo has significantly contributed to saving Przewalski’s horse. For many years, it was the leading breeder of this subspecies. The zoo even saw the world’s first artificial breeding of a Przewalski’s horse in 2001.
The idea for Prague Zoo started in 1881. Count Sweerts-Spork suggested it in a newspaper article. He wrote it for the wedding of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria and Princess Stephanie of Belgium.
In 1919, a committee was formed to prepare for the zoo’s establishment. The zoo finally opened to the public on September 28, 1931. The founding director was Jiří Janda.
The first artificially bred Andean condor in the world hatched here in 1938. In 1942, the first artificially bred polar bear, Ilun, followed. Dr. Zdeněk Veselovský became the zoo’s director in 1959. Under him, the zoo achieved world-class breeding and scientific research successes.
A new pavilion opened in 1971. It housed large mammals like elephants, hippos, and rhinos. A big cat pavilion followed in 1991.
Tragedy struck in 2002. Prague suffered its worst floods. A large part of the zoo flooded. Sadly, 134 animals died. These included an elephant, a lion, a gorilla, and four hippos. A brown fur seal named Gaston became famous. He swam the Vltava and Elbe rivers to Dresden, Germany. He died there from exhaustion or injury. Gaston has a statue in Prague Zoo. Thanks to donations, Prague Zoo greatly recovered.
The Indonesian Jungle pavilion opened in 2004. At the time, it was the country’s largest and most expensive animal pavilion. The first Western lowland gorilla born in the Czech Republic was named Moja in 2004.
In 2007, Prague Zoo saw its first breeding of a Komodo dragon. A new exhibit for brown fur seals opened in 2009. It featured a larger swimming pool and grandstand. The following year, a Texas tortoise was bred in Europe for the first time.
Four Przewalski’s horses were transported to Mongolia in 2011. They were released into the wild as part of a reintroduction project. In 2013, a large new Elephant Valley pavilion opened. The first elephant born at Prague Zoo was named Sita.
A pavilion opened in 2014 for 33 critically endangered Chinese giant salamanders. This collection has the largest of these salamanders in Europe.
After 13 years, Prague Zoo is among the few zoos worldwide with a breeding pair of Lesser Antillean iguanas. In 2023, the zoo saw the first birth of a Chinese pangolin in captivity. This birth offers hope for the endangered species.
So, as you explore Prague Zoo, remember its rich history and dedication to wildlife. It is a place of conservation, education, and wonder. Take your time to appreciate the incredible animals and the efforts to protect them.