No. 4 / december 2004 special supplement TThehe CContentontent The Speech Zooreport the magazine for friends of the Brno Zoo PhDr. Richard Svoboda december 2004 No. 4/04, volume VI PAGE 3 Editor: Zoologická zahrada města Brna U Zoo 46, 635 00 Brno, Czech Republic Animal Integration Into a Group Is Not Always Easy tel.: +420 - 546 432 311 Ing. František Slavič fax: +420 - 546 210 000 e-mail: [email protected] www.zoobrno.cz PAGE 4 Publisher: MiO Publicity s.r.o. Zoo Bratislava Has Coped with Šámalova 90, 602 00 Brno the Construction of the Railway Czech Republic Ing. Miloslava Šavelová tel./fax: +420 545 575 297 e-mail: [email protected] PAGE 5 & Peleos, spol. s r.o. Hybešova 40, 602 00 Brno Turtles and Tortoises at the Brno Zoo Czech Republic Michal Balcar tel.: +420 543 128 254 fax: +420 543 211 761 e-mail: [email protected] PAGE 6, 7 Editor’s office address: Zoologická zahrada města Brna Redakce Zooreport Further Steps to a Lattice-Free Zoo U Zoo 46, 635 00 Brno, Czech Republic Jan Kameník tel.: +420 - 546 432 370 fax: +420 - 546 210 000 e-mail: [email protected] PAGE 8 Editor manager: Eduard Stuchlík Hot news (red) Chief publisher: Milan Olšanský PAGE 9 Specialist reader: Bohumil Král Tropheus Cichlid Rearing Distribution: Jan Špaček 400 pcs in the English version 1,600 pcs in the Czech version First page: PAGE 10 Photograph: Michal Piškula Siberian Ibex Beginnings of the Australian Exhibit Last page: Eduard Stuchlík Radiated Tortoise Drawing: Jan Bodeček PAGE 11 UNSALEABLE 2 TThehe SSpeechpeech PhDr. Richard Svoboda (*1964) The present Brno Mayor was born in Zlín where he took his A-levels at grammar school in 1982. In 1987 he passed the Faculty of Arts of the present Masaryk University (doctor’s degree in 1988). He worked in the press and electronic media as an editor and journalist. After November 1989 he worked as a research worker at the Czechoslovak Academy of Sci- ences (later Czech Academy of Sciences). He published several papers on Czech studies and dictionary works in books and magazines. Since 1997 he is a member of ODS, before that he was without political affiliation. In 1998 he was elected to the Council of the Brno-Královo Pole city district. After two years of acting in the Council he became a Vice-Mayor responsible for property, housing, social and school issues. Since 2000 he is a member of the Council of the South-Moravian region. In 2002 he was elected Deputy Mayor of Brno, responsible for the economic development of the City, housing and property issues. On 12 October 2004 he replaced RNDr. Petr Duchoň, who was elected European Parliament member, in the position of Brno Mayor. He lives in the City district of Brno-Královo Pole. In his free time he practises recreation tennis and reads books. His son Mathias attends grammar school. BBrnorno ZZoooo RRanksanks aamongmong the animals to live permanently in the most tthehe MMostost AAttractivettractive PPlaceslaces pleasant and natural environment possible; iinn tthehe CityCity they want to know that the animals are not The zoological garden at the Monk’s under stress and that they do not suffer at Hill ranks among the most attractive places the zoo. I believe that I am not the only one PhDr. Richard Svoboda in the City especially as regards children. who wants to feels that we have not taken The number of visitors has been continuously away freedom and dignity of the zoo-kept they may understand my observation that increasing during the last years. Zoo founders animals. the zoo is one of many Brno institutions that who created the first runs fifty-one years ago Those who have children are the ones would need more funds. would probably not recognize it. who realize above all what a favourite and I believe that a visit to the zoo will Requirements for breeding animals in valuable place a nice zoo is in the middle of be as intensive an experience for today’s captivity have been increasing during the the City. However, the zoo is also regularly generation, hooked on virtual Hobit and decades as have the demands of zoo visitors; visited by couples in love, grandparents with Jurrasic park worlds, as it used to be for now it is obvious that present visitors ask for grandchildren or young zoology fans. All me. My childhood experiences are con- more than just a look at the animals in plain, these people certainly realize how much the nected to the Lešná Zoo near Zlín but I am bare cages or concrete runs. Visitors want zoo still needs to be improved and perhaps sure the Brno Zoo is an equally advanta- geous place for all pre-school children as the zoo, which is situated far away from the bus terminal in the Zlín quarter of Vršava, used to be for me. I am sure that the present lofty efforts exercised by peo- ple working at the Brno Zoo best guaran- tee that the zoo will be a more and more attractive destination of Brno citizens and a more and more pleasant dwelling for all its animal inhabitants. Photo: Miroslav Roudenský Photo: A air wiev of Tiger Rocks. Pavilions and runs on Kraví hora (Monk Hill) are surrounded Richard Svoboda by a full-grown deciduous woods Brno Mayor 3 TThehe CCautionaution between the mother and her young; the stal- lions usually live alone. The Polish mare was kept in a zebra pen in an independent cage for two days; on the third day it was let into an empty run. After approximately one hour and a half, when the animal calmed down, a stallion was let in. An “icebreaker” chase was soon over, the stallion tried to mate and he accepted the mare. In the afternoon, the second mare was let in. The situation in the zebra group seems normal. The last new animal so far is a male Ruffed Lemur (Varecia variegata) that was brought from the Ostrava Zoo in October to be placed in our male’s pen. The Ruffed Lemur lives in southeastern Madagascar in pairs and on Nosy Mangabe island in groups that fight with one another – however, Photo: Eduard Stuchlík Eduard Stuchlík Photo: relationships within groups are stable. After Grevy’s zebras the male was transported, it was left in AAnimalnimal IIntegrationntegration females can lay eggs in one nest. At first, a transport cage near the resident male IIntonto a GGrouproup IIss NNotot the new female ostrich was alone in the overnight. The animals could see each other AAlwayslways EEasyasy pen. Then we let her into a closed area in and showed great interest in each other. The Quite recently, Brno Zoo employees have order to meet “from behind the fence” other following day the transport cage with the brought several animals to Monk’s Hill that animals sharing the run with the ostriches. new male was placed right into the pen. have not yet integrated socially. An animal’s For about a week we let the female into the After the initial interest subsided, the males integration into a pack, pride, herd, flock, or run alone, and then the following day she were allowed to meet directly. The first slap- school in the wild is usually difficult to achieve. entered together with a male. Their meeting ping round started in a minute; however, Conflicts cannot always be prevented while took place quietly and thus in the days that no one was seriously hurt. The males keep integrating an individual into a group, even followed we let in the other female, and then a reserved distance and it is becoming clear when breeding wild animals in captivity. a part of the other permanent inhabitants of that they are going to get on well. A pack of wolves in the wild is domi- the run as well: the Chapman zebras and Ing. František Slavič nated by a parent pair; their offspring of the giraffes. Unfortunately, days with low various ages is divided into two independent night temperatures followed and we had to hierarchical lines according to sex. In June, put the animals in separate pens overnight. when a Canadian wolf (Canis lupus occiden- A meeting with the last species, the gnu, talis) from Germany’s Nuremberg Zoo joined was thus postponed. Furthermore, the male two females that had lived together in Brno started rutting again and injured the new for a long time, the older female attacked female upon attempting to mate; the new and hurt the younger, subordinate one. We female had to be separated again. After separated the attacked female and, after her recovery, the female was put in the small run wounds heal, we would like to let her join again and she waited for better weather to the others again. be able to join the other animals again. At the end of September a female Another newcomer is a female Grevy’s ostrich (Struthio camelus) originating from zebra (Equus grevyi); the mare was brought Tanzania was brought from the Nether- from Poland’s Poznan Zoo. As regards Eduard Stuchlík Photo: lands. Ostriches are polygamous and several these zebras, there are strong relationships A head of female of red-necked ostrich 4 TThehe PPresentationresentation premises. The construction started in March 2003, causing a liquidation of the entrance building and an increased movement of heavy machinery accompanied the con- struction works. Consequently, the zoo was closed to the public from December 2003 to June 2004. Photo: Lenka Hanáková Lenka Photo: The complicated situation demanded Southern Two-Toed Sloth ranks among the new animals of Zoo Bratislava.