No. 2 / june 2011 special supplement ZOO REPORT PROFI The Content The Speech Bc. Roman Onderka, MBA Zooreport the magazine for friends of the Brno Zoo june 2011; No. 2/11, volume XIII PAGE 3 Three Mini Appaloosa Foals Born in the Children’s Zoo Editor: Lenka Zelinková Zoologická zahrada města Brna U Zoo 46, 635 00 Brno, Czech Republic tel.: +420 546 432 311 fax: +420 546 210 000 PAGE 4 e-mail: [email protected] Poodří Offers a Piece of Countryside at the Outskirts of the City Publisher: Mgr. Jana Kristianová Peleos, spol. s r.o. e-mail: [email protected] PAGE 5 Editor’s office address: Zoologická zahrada města Brna A Treasure Has Arrived from Jersey: Giant Redakce Zooreport Hispaniolan Galliwasps U Zoo 46, 635 00 Brno, Czech Republic Michal Balcar tel.: +420 546 432 370 fax: +420 546 210 000 e-mail: [email protected] PAGES 6, 7 The Homeland of Wildebeests Rescued Editor manager: Eduard Stuchlík Bc. Eduard Stuchlík Specialist readers: PAGE 8 RNDr. Bohumil Král, CSc. Mgr. Lubomír Selinger Hot news (red) Translation: Mgr. Ilja Kašík Rosalind Miranda PAGE 9 Distribution: Two White Elephants Have Come to Stay 500 pcs in the English version Eduard Stuchlík 1,500 pcs in the Czech version Photos by: PAGE 10 Eduard Stuchlík A New Chapter in Breeding Reticulated Giraffes Has Started First page: Eduard Stuchlík Blue wildebeests UNSALEABLE PAGE 11 2 The Speech A Zoo is Both a Knowledge Island and a Noah’s Arc The history of the Earth runs from the beginning of the planet followed by the birth and extinction of both animal and plant species. Mass extinction has always been a consequence of sudden climatic changes or of great natural disas- ters. However, with the rise of civilization, an unprecedented decrease of biodiver- sity began. Thus, zoos serve as places of knowledge, as research areas, and also as an imaginary Noah’s Arc saving the endangered species of our planet. Zoos have been built all around the world for centuries. Zoos are places that help us, the ordinary mortals, to observe the life of hundreds of various species from every continent without extensive travel. They also help scientists and conservationists study endangered species, reproduce them, and return them to the wild. It is probably not much known, but it is worthy of note that the very first zoo was also called Roman Onderka with a dog called Chris “A Garden of Knowledge”. It was in China, about three thousand years ago. tigers, Canadian beavers, Arctic wolves, or Siberian welcomes me, no matter what time I come home, The Brno Zoo doesn’t have a history counted in brown bears bring the authenticity of exotic nature always accepts my arrival, and never tells anyone. hundreds of years. Nevertheless, it is well known to the city surroundings. And the Children’s Zoo, for He only would like to meet all the animals at the zoo to experts and to several generations of visitors. As example, enables city children to meet common do- personally, but I resolutely told him not to do so! It a young boy, I spent several beautiful moments there, mesticated animals, which often is more attractive is allowed to observe the animals, but it is forbidden admiring both well-known and lesser-known animals. for them than seeing an exotic kangaroo or giraffe. to feed and disturb them! Everyone knows that... Perhaps the hill in Bystrc district, the Mniší Hora Hill, A new member of my family, a one-year-old pug- seemed to me a bit smaller than now. I see with dog called Chris, follows me during my visits to the pleasure that our zoo is gradually changing, becoming animals from all around the world at the Brno Zoo. Bc. Roman Onderka, MBA larger and more modernized. Run outs for Sumatran He is a faithful friend in all ways. He always warmly Mayor of the Statutory City of Brno Bc. Roman Onderka, MBA was born in 1965 in Brno, and he is a Brno patriot, heart and soul. Nowadays, he is the Mayor of his native and beloved city for the second election period. However, the way up to this position was not direct. His original profession was as a mechanic and, later, a rolling-stock mechanic within the railway, which still is his love. He also worked as the territorial secretary for transport in the South Moravian Region and the Highlands Region of the Railway Trade Union. Only in 2002 did he start his political career after many years of being interested in public events. He was an elect- ed member of both the Board of Representatives of the Brno-Starý Lískovec town district, and the Board of Representatives of the City of Brno. He was released from these Boards to take up the position of the Mayor of the Statutory City of Brno in 2006. He graduated from Karel Engliš College in their bachelor study programme in Economics and Management, in the branch of Economics and Business Law. Later he graduated from the Faculty of Business and Management, Brno University of Technol- ogy in their study programme of Master of Business Administration (MBA). His close relatives – a son, a partner, and a dog – are what make him happy. If he has some time left, he likes to participate in sports, read books, and go to the theatre. 3 The Caution became a healthy and strong foal, although its birth weight was only about 15 kg. He belongs to a very small variant of mini Appaloosas. With regard to his small dimensions and low weight, we carried him from the stable to the run on his first days. To begin with, he was perplexed and cumbersome, but knew very well what he wanted: When he did not find milk forthcoming from his human friends, he angrily stood up on his back legs and immediately resolutely hoofed. Once he understood that he needed to go to his mother for milk, he followed her joyfully and self-assuredly. Lisbeth, Belfigor, and Lord Berry spend their days together in the common fenced area, and seem to be a satisfied family. The third foal this year is another male, born on 19 April. He is called Gin, and his mother is Geisha. Geisha was strict and even hysterical after delivery. She did not allow Gin to go even a meter from her. Being desperate, and curious about what his legs were able to do, Gin only circled his mother; then he turned Tymián with its mother and circled her in the opposite direction. He did not paloosa horses of North America. Its typical feature seem to be too bright but, rather, slightly retarded. is a very attractive colour, ingeniously dappled on its Everything changed when distrustful Geisha came to fur. The small height of mini Appaloosas – their height her senses and gave more freedom to the young foal. at withers is only about ninety centimetres – came Gin suddenly changed into a very sociable young foal, from various pony breeds. Mini Appaloosas serve for answering to his name and proudly coming for his rides for the youngest children visiting our zoo. We blue head halter. He no longer walks around Geisha, imported three couples from the Netherlands in 2010. but plays with Tymián. The young foals banter with The first foal of this breed to be born in the each other, race together, and think of capers to do Brno Zoo Brno is a male named Tymián. One of our with their mothers all the time. females, Tessa, gave birth to him on 6 April 2011. All three of them are doing well, healthy and Tessa is an experienced mother, and behaves calmly strong. Each has a different character, height, and and serenely. She does not show any unnecessary colouring, but they all like learning new things. They fear of people and the surroundings. That’s why we bring a lot of joy to their breeders and keepers. could play with Tymián from his first days and, in Lenka Zelinková, playing, teach him the basic habits of raising his Breeder at the Children’s Zoo legs or accepting a head halter. The small Tymián is a very bright foal which soon started to come for the Gin with its mother and a breeder head halter because he knew he would be praised a lot for doing so. Three Mini Appaloosa Another male was born to our Lisbeth a week Foals Born later, on 13 April. It was named Lord Berry. This was in the Children’s Zoo Lisbeth’s first delivery and therefore we hoped to This April, three mini Appaloosa foals were born watch over it. However, we were caught unawares. to the mares kept in our Children’s Zoo. The mini When our male Belfigor was in rut, Lisbeth went into Appaloosa is a very small breed raised in Europe the run with him. It is difficult to determine the precise (the Netherlands) which comes from the Indian Ap- date of pregnancy in free natural breeding. Lord Berry Lord Berry (in front) with parents 4 The Presentation Poodří Offers a Piece of Countryside at the Outskirts of the City The Poodří Protected Landscape Area (PLA), de- clared in 1991, is situated in the northeastern part of the Moravian Gate between Vražné (situated near Odry) and the southern edge of Ostrava, a distance of 34 km. The width of the territory, which covers an area of 81.5 km2, ranges from 0.5 to 4.5 km. The protection applies to the preserved alluvial meadows with scattered greenery, an unaltered meandering flow of the Odra river and its tributaries, as well as dead channels and lowland forests.