A zoo in Prague is the best place for a magical interaction with wildlife.

Starting from unique animals to rare plants – a visit to a zoo in Prague is a complete, wholesome experience.

With the rise in projects and movements to create awareness about the loss of wildlife due to climate change, an insight into a prominent zoo is an unmissable opportunity to educate oneself about nature closely.

Zoo in Prague – A Magical Experience

Here is an insight into the overall information about one of the most famous zoos in Prague – The Prague Zoo!

1. About The Prague Zoo

Location: The Prague Zoological Garden, U Trojského zámku 120/3.

During the wedding of Crown Prince Rudolf and Princess Stephanie of Belgium in 1881, Count Sweerts-Sporck issued an open letter in the newspapers calling for the founding of a zoological garden in Prague.

The zoo offers guided tours with excellent guides for visitors eager to learn about the animals. Parking lot services are also available here.

It also offers numerous restaurants and places to eat for visitors to grab a delicious bite on a tour around the zoo.

The Children’s Zoo is located in the southern part of the zoo. Direct contact with certain domestic animals is permitted and is available for visitors.

Prague Zoo is involved in ex-situ as well as in-situ conservation. This zoo in Prague coordinates the breeding of carefully chosen species as part of conservation programs.

The Prague Zoo also offers many entertainment programs for visitors and tourists. It also takes part in activities intended to support species to survive in the wild.

In numerous conservation projects, both objectives merge, resulting in animals born in the Prague Zoo returning to their ancestral homeland to be released into the wild.

2. History

2.1. 1930-1940 – How This Prominent Zoo in Prague Came Into Existence

In 1930, the owner of Circus Rebernigg donated a lioness named Šárka to the zoological garden.

In 1931, the zoological garden, albeit still under construction, opened to the public.

The main entrance erected an administration building, and Janda’s Raptor Aviary was built. A lot of the she-wolf, the first animal to live on Prague Zoo premises, arrived here this year.

The arrival of the first Przewalski horses (Minka and Ali) also occurred in 1931.

The first tigers (named Mitau and Bengali) arrived here in 1932.

The year 1933 welcomed the arrival of Petr (the Hippopotamus), Baby (the Elephant), and Max (the Rhinoceros). The Prague Zoo also lit up with the arrival of the first litter of tiger cubs.

The first lions on Prague Zoo premises, Šárka and Ctirad, who were named after characters from Czech mythology, arrived here in 1934. Also, well-known Czech comedic actor Vlasta Burian gifted the zoo two sea lions, Hýta and Batul, in the same year.

Zoo employees of Prague Zoo started staging circus performances in 1938. This year, the Zoo also succeeded in breeding the first captive-born Andean Condor around the globe.

The “Farm” – a cluster of agricultural buildings was constructed in the Prague Zoo in 1940.

2.2. 1942-1998 – Milestones of The Famous Prague Zoo

Notably, in 1942, Prague Zoo became the first to hand-rear a female polar bear cub named Ilun.

Zuzana, the Hippopotamus from bomb-ravaged Berlin, arrived here in 1944.

The Monkey House construction was completed in 1950, along with the arrival of the first chimpanzee, a female named Moke.

In 1950, under the jurisdiction of the Central National Committee of the Capital City of Prague and the supervision of the Ministry of Information and Edification, Prague Zoo also became a governmental organization.

The first giraffe was a female named Lenka, who arrived here in 1954. The Small Animal House was constructed in 1956.

In 1960, Prague Zoo was charged with keeping the international studbook for Przewalski’s horse.

1961 marked the arrival of the first orangutan, a female named Soňa. The first gorilla, Titan, arrived in this zoo in 1963.

Prague hosted a conference of the WAZA (a.k.a. the International Union of Directors of Zoological Gardens (IUDZG)), attended by Professor Bernhard Grzimek in 1971.

This year, they have also marked the inauguration of a new Pavilion of Big Mammals (for elephants, hippopotami, and rhinoceroses). Kama, the first orangutan reared in Prague Zoo, was born in the same year.

Bojsa and Nebojsa, the first aardvarks in Prague Zoo’s history, arrived here in 1978.

The Feline Pavilion was inaugurated in 1991.

Prague hosted a European Zoo Educators (EZE) Conference in 1995.

The Pavilion of Big Tortoises was inaugurated in 1998.

2.3. 2001-2012

In 2001, Prague Zoo became the first in the world to hand-rear a Przewalski’s horse. This year also marked the inauguration of two new pavilions: the African House and the Pavilion of Gorillas.

The Pavilion of Penguins and the Education Centre came into existence in 2004.

The first pair of Komodo dragons arrived in the Czech Republic in 2004 at the Prague Zoo.

The Indonesian Jungle was inaugurated in 2004.

New exhibits such as the Children’s Zoo, Nature Around Us, an open-air aviary-like enclosure for orangutans and gibbons, tiger and leopard exhibits, exhibits for porcupines and lemurs, and Monkey Islands were inaugurated in the year 2005.

In 2008, the first successful breeding of the Northern Luzon Giant Cloud Rat in the Czech Republic was noted.

The arrival of Gharials, along with the inauguration of the Chambal Pavilion of Gharials, occurred in 2008.

The Parrots’ Trail and Černohouska Pizzeria were inaugurated along with the erection of the “Obora” Observation Tower in 2009.

In 2010, Prague Zoo successfully bred 20 Komodo dragons and became the first to produce the Texas tortoise, the slender mongoose, and the spotted imperial pigeon.

The year 2011 it marked the celebration of Prague Zoo’s 80th anniversary.

The Gočár’s Houses also reopened after renovation – one served as a restaurant, the other as a gallery, educational facility, and shop.

In 2012, the Prague Zoo acquired four new female elephants: Donna and Tonya from Rotterdam and Tamara and Janita from Sri Lanka.

Prague Zoo’s first successful breeding of the red panda also occurred in 2012.

3. What to See?

The Hippo House offers a fantastic view of hippos living in their natural underwater element. Two hippo swimming pools: one outside and one inside. Both are present with a frontal glass wall.

The Indonesian Jungle is one of Europe’s largest pavilions. Visitors can spot many animals here, including a binturong or an orangutan.

Visitors can also spot the Komodo dragons and free-flying fruit bats in a darkened cave. The calls of tropical temperatures, jungle birds, and high humidity boost the entire experience.

Upon entering the Pavilion of Penguins, the visitors will find the world of the Chilean and Peruvian coasts – the home of Humboldt’s penguin.

Located behind large glass panes, the visitors can observe the way the penguins live and move about both above and under the surface of the water.

The visitors can even observe them nesting in the winter, as the Prague Zoo is one of the few European zoos to consistently successfully breed these penguins.

The Parrot Trail comprises a pleasant saunter past airy aviaries occupied by small parrot species that will take the visitors through the islands of Southeast.

On the trail, the visitors will chiefly come across numerous species of lories and lorikeets, many of which the Prague Zoo is the only zoo in Europe to breed effectively.

The Pavilion of Big Tortoises ranks among the world’s top exhibits. Visitors can spot the Galápagos tortoises, Aldabra giant tortoises, juvenile Komodo dragons, and numerous species of miniature tortoises and turtles.

Conclusion

Indeed, it is a magical experience to learn about the favorite zoo of Prague. Starting from breeding animals to conservation programs, the Prague Zoo is an incredible zoological garden.

The remarkable Elephant Valley compound is the most giant elephant exhibit in the entire history of Prague Zoo, along with being the biggest in the Czech Republic.

The Elephant Valley is home to a herd of eight Indian elephants, as well as Prague’s first native-born elephant calf.

Not only is the history of this zoological garden marked with notable milestones, but the lifetime of several unique animals here is fascinating.

A visit to a zoo with such a mesmerizing journey over the decades will surely be a delightful experience. 

Last Updated on November 6, 2023 by Apeksha Soni