Magic of the winter ZOO

Publikováno: 24.1.2024

The ZOO has its charm even in winter. Visitors can see most of the farmed animals, and if the snow comes again, they will also experience a rather unusual sight - in the snow-covered enclosures they can observe not only animals from the temperate zone, but also those from the tropics and subtropics, such as zebras, antelopes, some types of monkeys, elephants and parrots .

Of course, thermophilic animal species stay in outdoor enclosures for a much shorter time in winter than in summer, depending on the current weather. For example, if temperatures do not drop significantly below zero, African ungulates enjoy being outside around noon. The elephants can also appear outside during noon, depending on the temperature (see video 1). Most primate species can go outside at will. Parrots or the bird inhabitants of the Papua Aviary also enjoy going out.

"There are a lot of species in Ostrava ZOO that enjoy the winter. And they handle it much better than high summer temperatures. These species include pandas, deer, camels, ducks, geese, cranes, vultures, eagles and others. They survive the cold season thanks to their thick winter fur or feather growth and spend their time mostly in outdoor enclosures and aviaries without heated quarters. This dispels many people's ideas that animals in the zoo cannot be seen during the winter because they are hiding inside in the warmth," says Ostrava ZOO spokesperson Šárka Nováková.

While walking through the winter ZOO, visitors can warm up in one of the tropical pavilions, such as the Papua pavilion with tropical reptiles and fish, the Wanderu pavilion with lion macaques and northern tanas (see video 2), the Tanganyika pavilion with hippos and crocodiles, or the Evolution Pavilion with more than two hundred animals from West Africa, among which is a group of chimpanzees of the Horn of Guinea with two cubs. The Saola restaurant is also open every day from 10 a.m. Depending on the weather, selected food stalls are also open.

During the winter period the entrance fees are cheaper - until March 31 2024. An adult visitor pays CZK 110, children from 3 to 15 years, students, seniors or holders of ZTP and ZTP/P cards older than 15 pay CZK 60.

For Wednesday, January 3, the zoo staff prepared a lecture called What the Year 2023 Has Brought. It will take place from 4 p.m. in the garden's lecture hall. Jiří Novák, the director of the ZOO, will talk about the past year of the ZOO.

 

More at: www.zoo-ostrava.cz