Dvůr Králové Zoo

History

Dvůr Králové Zoo was established on the premises of a former private park boasting a beautiful building - a copy of a Renaissance castle close to Vienna. Richard Neumann, a textile factory owner, had the house built in 1905. After nationalisation of the textile industry in 1945, the town's museum of history was set up in the mansion, the origins of today's Zoo. As, over time, cages containing animal species from Europe were erected which became a part of the museum.

Covering an area of 6.5 hectares, the zoological garden was formally opened to the public on 9 May 1946. Josef Fabián was the Zoo's first manager and the museum curator at this time, holding these posts from 1946 to 1953. During the first few decades in the zoo's history all the cages and enclosures had to be constructed by Zoo personnel. Like an old greenhouse for palm trees was transformed into the Tropical House, housing primates, birds, and Rémus, the first lion at Dvůr Králové. The first real development and modernisation of the Zoo occurred under František Císařovský, the Zoo's director from 1956 to 1965. The first large modern buildings such as the terrarium, polar bear enclosure, carnivore houses, elephant house and others were erected. In total, the zoo's grounds increased to 28 ha and likewise the animal collection increased with quite a number of rare and exotic species. As a result, visitor numbers went up, reaching about 250,000 a year, which uprated the profile of Dvůr Králové Zoo amongst the ranking of other zoos in Czechoslovakia at the time.

Josef Vágner, the next director between 1965 and 1983, had a major influence in the Zoo's development and the way it has established its position in wildlife conservation to date. Under Vágner's supervision 8 expeditions were organised to a number of African countries, resulting in around 2000 animals being brought into the collection. This focus on African animals was his brainchild. These were merely ingulates only along with some carnivores, primates, and reptiles. The creatures formed the basis for unique breeding pairs and groups that made the zoo one of Europe's most important gene banks for numerous African ungulate mammals. Building on Vágner's work, Jiří Svoboda, director from 1984 to 1986, had the Zoo modernised again. He was responsible for changing exhibits and enclosures so as to imitate natural habitats, getting rid of iron barriers, and landscaping the grounds to help conceal buildings and fencing with palisades and greenery. He also had many buildings and structures erected, which later led to the opening of the African Safari Park to the public on 8 May 1989.

Recently, a successful breeding programme of rhinos, giraffes, zebras, buffalos, and many antelope species at Dvůr Králové Zoo has occurred under the management of Dana Holečková, the results of which are both extraordinary and globally important. Due to its number of animals, the zoo ranks amongst the largest and most famous zoological parks in the Czech Republic. Moreover, it boasts the greatest number of African species in Europe. It is unique in the Czech Republic thanks to the African Safari Park, where visitors can ride through herds of free-ranging animals in special safari buses.

Currently, as a member of EAZA, Dvůr Králové Zoo participates in 33 European Endangered Species Programmes. Out of the total number of the species held, 35 have been registered under the European Studbook system (ESB).

(Source: website Dvůr Králové Zoo)

Visit(s)

12.06.2010

On the premises three different parts can be recognised, the oldest part in the close vicinity of the Neumann mansion, than the first expansion with bar-less enclosures and the newest part, the safari park. Like in Prague Zoo, dogs are allowed on the grounds, something I am not familiar with and think is unwise regarding biosecurity issues and unpredicted behaviour of both pet and 'wild' animal when making visual, aural or olfactorial contact.

I started my visit at the safari park, and used the tractor pulled carriages to get there, just for the fun of it. They take you in double-deck buses through the safari park and provide you with information in Czech language. Quite different from the plates at the enclosures in the other part of the Zoo, which give excellent information on the species in English too. Therefore the safari park as such was a bit disappointing, but the environment in which the different African antelope can roam around freely looks great. The different species seem quite at ease with each other and the many buses that come along. Nevertheless for a safari park it is rather small, and not something of my liking. The disturbance of the buses is unnecessary, because the public could be provided good viewing of meadows and animals via gaps in the fences on dedicated places.

The first enclosure you encounter when walking back from the safari park entrance is that of the Asian lions. A spacious environment with a fence of glass along the full lenght of the park's walkway. Nevertheless the lions have got plenty of hiding places, with high level observation posts as well, both outside and inside. There is an electric wire installed at the lion's side of the window pane (security reasons?).

Walking further down the path you arrive at some astonishing large enclosures for their large number of rhinoceroses, of which the three subspecies to be found in the Zoo, the Indian, Black and Northern White rhino, are housed in five different enclosures. A female black rhino (Diceros bicornis) was housed separate together with her young. Not all rhino enclosures are adjacent to each other but three of them are, separated by concrete walls. This provides easy opportunity to join or separate animals. It so happens that this came into existence during one of the expansions the Zoo went through. The outside concrete walls are cleverly hidden behind shrubs. They have the second largest breeding group of black rhinos in the world with an excellent track record. Their breeding results between 1977 and 2002 had a tally of 26. On top of that they had born in captivity a 4^th generation young in one lineage. At the time of my visit they had two young, born at 8 and 12 December 2009. As part of their conservation programme three rhinos have been send to the Mkomazi national park in Tanzania.

Considering the Northern White rhinoceros, it should be noted that from this form of white rhino - the other is the Southern White rhino - there are only less than 40 specimens left in the world, currently. And about 20 of them live in only two zoos, one of them being Dvur Kralove Zoo (more here). As a matter of fact, just recently the taxonomic status of the Northern White rhino has been re-assessed, and researchers say it is a distinct species and not a subspecies. This should boost the conservation efforts to save this animal from going extinct.

In the enormous savannah-like meadow just opposite of the three adjoining rhino enclosures they created a mixed species exhibit for African animals with Damara zebra, White-bearded gnu, Roan antilope, Saddlebill, Marabu and Egyptian goose.

Not only have they got a large breeding group of rhinos, but also of zebras (the largest in the world with 90 specimens) and of giraffes (in 2005 the largest in Europe). Of the three zebra species the Zoo is only lacking the Cape mountain zebra and the Crawshay's zebra as subspecies. Two of the (sub)species take part in European Endangered species Programmes (Grevy's zebra and Hartmann's mountain zebra). Until 10 May 2010 they had 121 newborns within their zebra breeding groups. Even better are the breeding results of the giraffes. Until 2004 178 newborns of which 175 were reticulated giraffes. They have invested a lot in African ungulates and their housing, which seems to pay off. Not only for their conservation programmes, but also for the visitors who can enjoy some excellent exhibits with beautiful animals.

The Zoo's effort with Arabian oryx is interesting to mention, because they are in the middle of a rehabilitating process of several specimens of this species, which were extinct in the wild in the 1970s. The Arabian oryx are on display in a mixed species exhibit together with Blesbok and Nile lechwe, in a natural atmosphere on a small hillside with trees, grass and flowers. Though these animals will not meet each other when in the wild, as the Arabian oryx' native environment is the Arabian peninsula, the climate zone of their surroundings in the wild is similar.

Another achievement which is worth to draw attention to is the production of already 36 newborn Red buffalos and many more of Cape buffalos. The Zoo has send 74 of the latter to Africa as part of their nature conservation activities.

Then I arrived at the oldest part of the Zoo, close to the entrance/exit. Here you see that they have been refurbishing and reorganising the exhibits to upgrade the housing and implement more state-of-the-art husbandry systems. This part of the Zoo offers a more diverse display of animal species from different continents, but still the focus is on Africa. Nonetheless the visitors can enjoy, apart from the omnipresent ungulates, primates, predators and birds.

They concentrated the carnivorous predators in this part, with the leopard, African wild dog, serval, jackal, cheetah, hyena and the only non-African carnivore species the Amur tiger. These predators are all on display in enclosures with glass window panes which support the opportunity to see the animals, but also require to make spots where the animals can hide from the public when they want peace and quiet. This is created by using trees, logs, and bushes, which additionally provide observation posts for the felines. All roofs consist of wire mesh. I would say that especially the jackal and the cheetah could be given more shelters, and more space will please them as well.

It is obvious that Dvur Kralove is not specialised in primates. The gorillas, chimps, orang-utans and colobus monkeys are housed in old-fashioned indoor galleries, and their outdoor facilities are not meeting the standards set for these animals, nowadays. The lack of enrichment is striking. On the other hand the ring-tailed lemur island is beautiful, with trees and shrubs, and provides a nice home for the animals to express natural behaviour.

The mixed species exhibit with several species of antelope, giraffe, marabu, crowned crane, and the secretary bird, is great. Large meadow with huge trees provides enough space for animals to retire from unsollicited company (like agressive neighbours for instance).

The walk-through aviary is not too bad, it is simple but effective and large.Dvur Kralove Zoo is recommended when you want to see African animal species! This decision, made by director Josef Vágner and maintained by his successors, deserves respect and appreciation.

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Northern White Rhinos

Breeding of northern white rhinoceros, a critically endangered species

Dvůr Králové Zoo is one of the leading institutions worldwide trying to save the northern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum ssp cottoni) from going extinct. Together with San Diego Zoo Global and the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) in Berlin they are involved in ex-situ and in-situ conservation efforts. But the death of a female northern white rhino on 27 July 2015 at Dvůr Králové Zoo is a serious setback for the population size of this endangered species. Now only four are left:

Death of northeren white rhino female Nabiré

Northern white rhino female Nabiré, one of the last five northern white rhinos in the world, died on Monday, July 27 in Dvůr Králové Zoo, Czech Republic. She deceased due to a large pathological cyst that ruptured inside her body.

"It is a terrible loss. Nabiré was the kindest rhino ever bred in our zoo. It is not just that we were very fond of her. Her death is a symbol of the catastrophic decline of rhinos due to a senseless human greed. Her species is on the very brink of extinction," said Přemysl Rabas, the director of the zoo.

Nabiré was born on November 15, 1983 at the Dvůr Králové Zoo as one of the only four northern white rhinos ever bred in captivity. She spent all her life in Dvůr Králové. "The pathological cyst inside the body of Nabiré was huge. There was no way to treat it," said Jiří Hrubý, a rhino curator of the zoo.

In the wild, the northern white rhinos (NWR) were poached to extinction. Their slaughter has been driven by the demand for their horn in some countries of East Asia and the Arabian Peninsula. The subspecies is listed as Critically Endangered according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™, when assessed in 2011.

Thanks to 40 years of breeding efforts, the Dvůr Králové Zoo prolonged the very presence of NWR on this planet. The initial group was brought to Dvůr Králové Zoo in 1975 from southern parts of Sudan. The group consisted of two males and four females. Of this group two individuals - a male and a female - are still alive. Female Nola lives at San Diego Zoo, while male Sudan was translocated in 2009 to the Ol Pejeta Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya together with male Suni and females Nájin and Fatu. The latter two were born at the zoo in Dvůr Králové.

Nabiré was one of the animals that participated in Dvůr Králové Zoo efforts to breed these rarest rhinos in the world. However, Nabiré could not conceive naturally due to a large amount of cysts in her uterus.

Nevertheless, her left ovary appeared to be healthy, so it was hoped she might become a donor of eggs for in vitro fertilization and artificially create an embryo. For this reason, the potentially healthy ovary was immediately after her death removed and taken to a specialized laboratory in Italy. Tissue samples that could be used for scientific research and reproduction work were collected as well.

A breeding programme

Dvůr Králové Zoo with its partners continues with the efforts towards survival of the northern white rhino.

It is our moral obligation to try to save them. We are the only ones, together perhaps with San Diego Zoo, who have enough of collected biological material to do so. We are aware that our chances are slim, but the hopes are still alive

Přemysl Rabas, Director of Dvůr Králové Zoo

Apart from its own breeding programme, Dvůr Králové Zoo shifted part of a NWR group to the San Diego Zoo in 1989 to reduce the risk of possible decimation of the only captive animals held at a single location due to unexpected health problems.

Unfortunately, the females did not conceive in San Diego and Dvůr Králové Zoo remained the only facility where northern white rhinos managed to reproduce. But even in Dvůr Králové the rate of reproduction was too low. In addition to research of hormonal cycles, which has taken place in Dvůr since the 1980s, the zoo began to cooperate with the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) in Berlin on artificial techniques of reproduction in 2001.

All females were stimulated with hormonal implants and females Nájin and Fatu were repeatedly artificially inseminated with semen of northern males in 2006 and 2007.

After unsuccessful attempts with artificial insemination, the zoo decided to go for a next step - in December 2009, the zoo transported two males and two females to Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya (more info here). It was hoped that natural surroundings close to their original habitat could give them an impulse that would prompt their breeding. Although the acclimatization of the animals went well, the hormonal cycles of the females improved and repeated mating was observed, unfortunately, no pregnancy occurred.

Thus, the team from IZW Berlin with support from the Dvůr Králové Zoo and other partners currently aims at developing a robust protocol to optimize a procedure of harvesting and maturing oocytes, fertilization of oocytes followed by embryo transfer with southern white rhinos. When the process is standardized on these close - but morphologically and genetically distinct¹ - relatives of northern white rhinos, the team will aim at harvesting oocytes from the last northern white rhino females, mature oocytes, fertilize them with northern white rhino semen, generate embryos on a large scale and cryo-preserve them or transfer them directly into a surrogate mother of a southern white rhino origin.

According to health examination that took place at the end of 2014, the two females in Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Nájin and Fatu, could become donors of eggs for the experiment. Also, Dvůr Králové Zoo collaborates with the San Diego Zoo Global and other partners on this challenging task to save the northern white rhino by using advanced cellular technologies.

¹ Northern white rhinoceros, a distinct species!

(Source: Dvůr Králové Zoo news release, 28.07.2015)

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