june 2003

s p e c i a l s u p p l e m e n t

TThhee CCoonntteenntt

Zooreportthe magazine for friends of the Brno Zoo

june 2003No. 2/03, volume V

Editor: Zoologická zahrada města Brna

U Zoo 46, 635 00 Brno, Czech Republictel.: +420 - 546 432 311fax: +420 - 546 210 000e-mail: zoo@zoobrno.cz

www.zoobrno.cz

Publisher:MiO Publicity s.r.o.

Šámalova 90, 602 00 Brno Czech Republic

tel./fax: +420 545 575 297e-mail: mio.publicity@atlas.cz

&Peleos, spol. s r.o.

Hybešova 40, 602 00 Brno Czech Republic

tel.: +420 543 128 254fax: +420 543 211 761

e-mail: info.brno@peleos.cz

Editor’s office address: Zoologická zahrada města Brna

Redakce ZooreportU Zoo 46, 635 00 Brno, Czech Republic

tel.: +420 - 546 432 370fax: +420 - 546 210 000

e-mail: stuchlik@zoobrno.cz

Editor manager: Eduard Stuchlík

Chief publisher: Milan Olšanský

Specialist reader:Bohumil Král

Distribution: 2000 pcs.

First page:Prevost’s Squirrel

Photograph: Michal Piškula

Last page:Cranes

Author: Bohumil Olšanský

UNSALEABLE

The Speech RNDr. František Pelc

PAGE 3

The first attraction was a caravan with bearsEmil Štiss

PAGE 4

Chomutov Zoo Park sends word: The Earth does notbelong to people

Martin Šíl

PAGE 5

Rodents in Zoo Brno Ing. Daniel Zeller, PhD.

PAGE 6, 7

Has the end come for the European Ground Squirrel in Bohemia?Jan Kameník

PAGE 8

Hot news(ed)

PAGE 9

People have nearly forgotten about takinsRNDr. Bohumil Král, CSc.

PAGE 10

Reindeer males look forward to two companionsEduard Stuchlík

PAGE 11

2

SSoommee ppoolliittiicciiaannssddoonn’’tt uunnddeerrssttaanndd tthhee rreeaassoonnffoorr tthhee eexxiisstteennccee ooff zzooooss

Zoological gardens have passedthrough a major transformation in thelast decade. Only a small fractionremains of their original mission – todisplay exotic animals to amazed visitorsfrom behind the bars of small pens. Asthe environment is gradually andincreasingly eroded and nature as suchdestroyed, zoological gardens haveacquired a new and entirely differentpublic order.

Gardens have been transformed intocultural educational institutions, in which adultsand children can become acquainted withdiverse creatures and observe their behaviour ina natural environment that mimics their nativehabitat. This may evoke a sense of responsibilityin people for life on the planet and its beauty,to feel that this cannot be replaced even by veryimportant publications or films.

Independence fromnature is only a falseimpression

The tempo of technologicaldevelopment, which has followed us at every

step, is continuously increasing and supportsthe false impression that we are notdependent on nature. Before I entered thepolitical arena, I was a professional natureconservator. However, I am convinced thatwe must maintain biodiversity primarily inrelation to natural preservation of local andnative ecosystems; it is becomingincreasingly more apparent that an importantelement of protection for many criticallyendangered species are precisely the modernconcept of zoological gardens. If it were notfor these facilities, some species would nolonger exist and it would be impossible toeven consider returning them to nature. Andthat is the second part of the social order tozoological gardens – to help endangerednatural diversity.

Not long ago, in a relatively complicatedfashion, the Czech Parliament approved a lawon zoological gardens, reflecting conditionsfor operating zoological gardens in countriesof the European Union. The Parliamentultimately had to overcome a veto by the newpresident of the Republic. Such inconsistentideas demonstrated how some Czechpoliticians do not understand the significanceof the mission of zoological gardens.

Somewhat differentmarket relations applyin the zoo

Exceptions to the law were unhappilyjustified by the fact that the anticipated legalarrangement favoured business conditions inthe area of zoological gardens before othertypes of business and that licensed zoologicalgardens do not make sense, since this couldostensibly be made possible by some generalregulations resolving mistreatment of animals.Such argumentation from some politicians isevidence that their insufficient relevantinformation is also accompanied by defectiveimpressions of zoological gardens.

The foggy awareness about the sense oftheir existence, however, should force a resolveon zoological gardens to improve thepresentation of their new mission, both in thearea of education as well as environment. Tothis end, I wish all modernly conceivedzoological gardens much success.

RNDr. František Pelc,Vice-chairman of the Parliamentary

Committee for Public Administration, RegionalDevelopment and the Environment

3

TThhee SSppeeeecchh

František Pelc (*1962)Ecologist, graduate of the Natural Science Department at Charles University in Prague.

After completing studies and military service, he worked as District Ecologist in Semile andalso as the Administrative Director of the Jizerské hory Protected Scenic Area in Liberec. In theperiod from 1995 – 2002, he was Administrative Director of Protected Scenic Areas of the CzechRepublic. In 1993, he established the Foundation for the Protection and Renewal of Jizerské hory,of which he is the Chairman of the Administrative Board. The Foundation supports practical andresearch projects directed towards the complete rehabilitation of alpine regions damaged by emis-sions. Author of an array of professional works in the areas of regional ecology and environmentalprotection; co-author of the State Program for the Protection of Nature and Scenery approved in1998; and editor of the Program for Development of Protected Scenic Areas. He formulated themodern strategy for renewal of forest communities. He is currently concerned with instrumentsfor environmental protection. Among his hobbies are photographing scenic forms and hiking. Heis married and has two sones. Since 1999, he has been a member of Unie svobody (CzechFreedom Party) and Chairman of its Expert Commission on the Environment; he is also Vice-Chairman of Unie svobody – DEU and chairs its Environmental Commission. In 2002, he waselected Member of Parliament of the Czech Republic for the Liberec region.

TThhee CCaauuttiioonn

TThhee ffiirrsstt aattttrraaccttiioonn wwaassaa ccaarraavvaann wwiitthh bbeeaarrss

The Association for the Establishment ofa Zoological Garden in Brno, founded in1934, renewed its activities after the end ofthe Second World War in 1945.

The Association in the post-war periodinitially focused on finding a location suitablefor establishing the garden.

Mniší hora won out, with its naturalreservation 65 hectares in area, covered pre-dominantly by oak growth, with protectedthermophilic Pannonian flowers and severalrare wood species. A series of amphibianspecies once lived freely in the area, theedges of which today are formed by the near-ly dry brook Hluboček. Today some no longerexist in these locations – for example com-mon nightengale and brook trout. An agree-ment was established with the NaturalScience Department of Masaryk University,the new owner of the desired locality, thatboth a botanical and a zoological gardenwould be constructed on Mniší hora. The Zooreceived 10 hectares on the southern andsouthwestern slopes, while the southeastern

slope was to have devolved to the botanicalsection. After further negotiations, Mniší horaas a whole remained reserved only for theconstruction of the zoo, as the botanical gar-den received an area near the building of theDepartment on Kotlářská Street.

The National Committee for the BrnoRegion founded the Mniší hora ZoologicalGarden of the Brno Region by decree dated 6May 1950. From that day forward, numerousenthusiasts began without pay to buildpaths, cages and aviaries on the southwest-ern slopes for future zoological exhibitions.The fate of the Association for Establishinga Zoological Garden in Brno, which was com-posed exclusively of volunteers, came toa head in 1952 when the Communist regimebanned all associations. The members of theAssociation immediately founded a circle con-nected to the Zoological Garden, which formany years has continued to help with thedevelopment of the zoo.

The celebrated opening of the Zoo tookplace on Sunday, 30 August 1953. Nearly sev-en hundred metres of trails passed by abouttwenty cages or aviaries, wooden fences forcamels, yaks and other ungulates, and a car-avan from the defunct Kludský Circus with zooattractions, two brown bears – Váňa andDuňa. Among the 171 animals of 51 species,various strains of domestic animals predomi-

nated and the common species of wild ani-mals. But in addition to the above-mentionedbears, visitors also showed enthusiastic fora pair of lions, to the attractive exhibitions fur-ther belonging, for example, to EuropeanWolverine, the Island Lynx or the Royal Eagle.

By the end of 1953, 34 594 visitorshad passed through the new zoo. The singlebuilding in the garden was the single-storeyhunting lodge built in the 19th century andlinked to a ground floor farmstead tract.A gamekeeper had hitherto lived in the hunt-ing lodge, part of the building was reservedfor Zoo offices. A few more than twenty peo-ple were employed in the ten-hectare garden.

Emil Štiss

4

During the opening of Zoo Brno, among the exhibitionswere two caravans of the defunct Kludsk˘ Circus. Beforelong the bears VáÀa and DuÀa brought offspring into theworld in one of them.

Photo

: Milo

‰ Bud

íkThe first pair of lions on Mni‰í hora.Lions have been kept by Zoo Brnocontinously from its opening to thepresent day.

Photo

: Milo

‰ Bud

ík

In the fifties, the leading Brno photographer Milo‰ Budík devoted himself intensively totaking photographs of animals in the expositions on Mni‰í hora.

Photo

: Lub

omír

Perni

ca

CChhoommuuttoovv ZZoooo PPaarrkksseennddss wwoorrdd:: TThhee EEaarrtthh ddooeessnnoott bbeelloonngg ttoo ppeeooppllee

The Podkrušnohorský Zoo Park inChomutov is the most extensive garden inthe Union of Czech and Slovak Zoos, its runsand exhibitions covering 112 hectares. TheZoo Park concentrates on the fauna ofpalearctic sub-regions. A visitor will not seeexotic rhinoceroses or caimans, but will learnthat in places they know well live creaturesthat remain a mystery in the age of virtualreality.

Chomutov lies in a region strongly not-ed for heavy industry. The most valued arethe full-grown trees together with other abun-dant greenery in the Zoo Park, characterizedby species wealth both in flora and fauna.The park is overgrown with mixed forest, atvarious locations certain species of treesalways predominate and there are alsoa series of different biotopes filled with themany organisms linked to them. Among thebotanical jewels of the Zoo Park is the centu-ry-old garden of chestnut trees, declareda natural monument.

During walks in the Zoo Park, thespecies diversity of trees, bushes and herbschange along with the species composition ofanimals that belong here. Just beyond thegate is a run for Roe-Deer, a little further OldWorld Flamingoes can be admired. Opposite

their pond is a large pond, where pelicans,rare ducks, including Golden-Eye, Northern,Brent, and other species of wild ducks andswans. Only a few steps from the large pondis another colony of birds related to water –Great Cormorants.

The European Bison is the totem animalof the Zoo Park and its run lies beyond thepond for water birds. A second group of bisonhas been released in the extensive Eurosafarirun, which is shared between bison and wildpigs, Převalský horses, European Buffalo,Saiga antilope and other species. The steepslope beyond the run for Barbary macaquesleads to small predators and a terrarium.Those who do not know the appearance ofa Himalayan Marten or genet, can view smallpredators right here in these small runs.

With the creation of a children’s zooabove the grove, a path leads around the runof rare Pere David’s Deer and MesopotamianFallow Deer. In the wolf run is a small, adven-turous path to the “wolf’s lair,“ a long tunnelwhere it is possible to see wolves passing bya glass shelter right before your eyes. Oneand a half hectares of deciduous forest sur-rounded by an electric fence provides suffi-cient space for four brown bears, and it isalso possible to see animals in the smallpond. Above the run for bears we findNorthern Raccoon as a display of Americanspecies transported by humans to Europe.

The diversity of animal life in Europe and Asiais great, and we find both Bactrian Camelsand Water Buffalo among the animals in theZoo Park.

One location in Chomutov Park remarkson the fate of animals man has wiped fromthe face of the Earth. A symbolic cemetery isdominated by a monument to birds thathave become representatives of extinctspecies – the Dodo. Together with this isa small monument with several dozen otheralready extinct species as a reminder that theblue planet does not belong just to humans.

From the solid booms, visitors aredrawn to see the inhabitants of the seal pool.Those who visit on the weekend at 2:00 p.m.can see the seals feed. What else but fish,which can – together with feed for poniesand domestic animals – be purchased at theentrances to the Zoo Park.

Martin Šíl

5

TThhee PPrreesseennttaattiioonn

Children’s Day in the Chomutov Zoo Park.

Photo

: Ros

tislav

Stra

ch

Seal

Photo

: Ros

tislav

Stra

ch

RRooddeennttss iinn ZZoooo BBrrnnoo

For the most part, the order of rodentsincludes small and medium-sized mammalsof various appearance, but with a singleanatomical structure. Rodents are the mostabundant order of mammals.

Zoo Brno keeps, for example, thelargest rodent in the world, the Capybara(Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris), which occurs inthe Amazon and reaches a weight of morethan 40 kg. Capybaras live in marshy regionsand are exclusively vegetarian. The majorityspend their days in the water; they are excel-lent swimmers and divers, foraging for grass-es and other types of plants in shallow placesand along the banks of rivers and lakes.Mating takes place for the most part in thewater. In Mniší hora, capybaras regularly reartheir young, which the zoo then gives to oth-er zoos. From the same zoo-geographicalneo-tropical area, but from a differentbiotope, is the Patagonian Mara (Dolichotispatagonica). Maras and capybaras live ina common run with a water reservoir in theSouth American section of the zoo.

North America is represented amongrodents in Mniší hora by Black-tailed PrairieDogs (Cynomys ludovicianus), living in abun-dant family colonies in their native habitat.Spiny rodents such as the Porcupine (Hystrixleucura) and the Indian Crested Porcupine(Hystricidae) originate from the Indo-Malaysia region, from whence also come the

Prevost Squirrel (Callosciurus prevosti), whichas a new species has recently enriched theBrno rodent collection. A few of these viva-cious animals have been designated for anunusual exhibition – a large aviary joiningthe space of the restaurant U Tygra (At theTiger) with a souvenir shop located in theCentral Services Building in the upper floors.

The Prevost squirrel differs from othersquirrels by its exceptional colour, describedin some languages by name (in GermanSchönhörnchen, in English Tri-colored squir-rels or Beautiful squirrels, in essence theancient Czech name also means beautifulsquirrel and the Latin Callosciurus meansbeautiful squirrel). Their fur is unusually var-ied, with markedly distinguishable individualcolours. These inhabitants of rain forests inthe hinterland of India, Malaysia andIndonesia are excellently adapted to life intrees and nimbly move from branch tobranch, using their long tails as balancingpoles, but also applied during communicationbetween individuals. They have excellentvision. Claws serve for climbing and duringdescents along branches, the rear legs can beturned in such a way that the claws can catch

PPiiccttuurreess ffrroomm tthhee BBrrnnoo ZZoooollooggiiccaall GGaarrddeenn

6

Capybaras Prevost's Squirrel

Patagonian Mara

�Ph

oto: E

duard

Stuc

hlík

Photo

: Mich

al Pi‰

kula

7

PPiiccttuurreess ffrroomm tthhee BBrrnnoo ZZoooollooggiiccaall GGaarrddeenn

in the bark. They survive on fruit, vegetables,seeds, not even spurning worms. Sometimesthey shift habitat from the rain forest to thecultivated regions, where they pillage planta-tions of oil and coconut palms. They buildlarge nests high in the crowns of trees frombranches and leaves or live in the hollows oftrees. Often they congregate in groups. Theirgestation period lasts around 45 days andends with the birth of one to three young asa rule. Their main predators are birds of prey,small predators and snakes.

Rodents exist in approximately twothousand species, grouped into 28 families.They inhabit the entire world with the excep-tion of the Antarctic, New Zealand, and someoceanic islands, penetrating Australia andsome islands only during colonization.Probably the largest species diversity ofrodents is in South America, which as an inde-pendent continent, remained isolated fora long time. Rodents are a relatively modernorder, marked by their adaptation to newenvironments. One of the factors for evolu-tionary success is their highly specialized setof teeth, particularly their ability for self-sharpening.

In the near future, Zoo Brno willarrange for additional rodents: CanadianBeaver (Castor canadensis) and NorthAmerican Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum).These species will be shown in an exhibition

already built according to a new concept con-centrated on developmentally interesting zoo-geographic areas and sub-regions of theworld.

Ing. Daniel Zeller, PhD.

Black-tailed Prairie Dog

Indian Crested Porcupine

��

Photo

: Mich

al Pi‰

kula

Photo

: Mich

al Pi‰

kula

HHaass tthhee eenndd ccoommeeffoorr tthhee EEuurrooppeeaann GGrroouunnddSSqquuiirrrreell iinn BBoohheemmiiaa??

One of the tasks of the EuropeanAssociation for Zoological Gardens andAquaria (EAZA) has become the protection ofwild nature. The current method of breedingex situ (outside the natural environment),when in its runs the Zoo cares for speciesthreatened by extinction, is already notenough. It must be combined with so-calledin situ programs (in the natural environ-ment), which contributes to the protection ofentire ecosystems in which animals havehitherto lived.

Many members of EAZA already practicethe in situ method: several gardens take careof selected territories; they contribute to theestablishment of funds provided to specialists,furnishing material for reservation guards,animals, education and adult education –they explain to villagers from areas in Asia,for example, where tigers currently live, whythey should not kill these animals. Severalyears ago, Zoo Brno succeeded in sendinga pair of Addax to Morocco, which is the orig-inal homeland of these antilope and whereAddax are already on the verge of extinction.

The scientific potential of the zoo maybe beneficial even to nature in close proximi-ty to the garden, with a deeper significanceprovided to species of local fauna. Zoo Brnoconsiders projects for the protection of select-ed territories in Bohemia and how to returnthe original animal inhabitants to theseareas. For support, traditional breeding maybe conducted for animal species living in thewild of the Czech Republic. For example, anentire section devoted to domestic birds ofprey and owls is on the current visitor trail,recently enriched by a pair of small ScopsOwls from Zoo Ohrada. The history of ZooBrno has even recorded one case of reintro-duction of a domestic species to life in thewild. In the 1960s, zoo technician FrantišekŠujan bred the Common Nightengale in anaviary on Mniší hora, which was subsequent-ly released into the surrounding gardens,where it was once common, but was alreadyunknown at that time.

Zoo Brno now has decided to focus onthe European Ground Squirrel. Once thescourge of farmers, thanks to chemical use ofcultivated steppes removing nature fromCentral Europe, this species has practicallydisappeared. In Poland in 2001, the animal

was even declared extinct. Workers at ZooBrno would like to colonize the territory ofthe garden with a group of squirrels originat-ing from nature and to process a methodolo-gy for establishing a colony of these animalscapable of living in a new site. In co-opera-tion with nature conservators, they would liketo transport some of the last populations ofsquirrels living in the vicinity of Brno to theZoo. Conservators have outlined the Čer-novická terasa territory at the south-easternedge of the city, where the construction ofa factory is planned on a site hitherto inhab-ited by squirrels. The optimal period for trans-porting the above-mentioned rodents is April,when the females are already with young. Inthe new environment, where they will givebirth, the squirrel mothers already feel athome.

Unfortunately, this year the conserva-tors, without which the zoo could not oper-ate in this matter, failed to determinea colony of squirrels suitable for capture. Wewere disappointed in the Zoo, but there areenough others who hope this animal thathas always belonged here will be returnedto nature.

Jan Kameník

TThhee CCoonntteemmppllaattiioonn

8

European Ground Squirrel

Scops Owl

Photo

: Ros

tislav

Stac

h

Photo

: Edu

ard S

tuchlí

k

9

HHoott nneewwss

BBaabbyy bbeeaarr iiss aallrreeaaddyyggooiinngg oonn wwaallkkss

The bear born on 17 January 2003 inZoo Brno first went out for a walk with itsanxious mother on Friday, 2 May.

Up until now, it had spent its days inthe den where the mother protected it withher own body, fed it and did not release it toanyone. As was later shown, the offspring isa girl, and in August she will be baptised asHaribo. For now, mother and offspring showthemselves only every other day – they alter-nate in the run with the father. It had to beseparated from its family, because this couldbe dangerous for the little one. The pair ofEuropean Brown Bears (Ursus arctos arctos)have been owned by the Zoo Brno since1984. But the keeping of brown bears hashad a many-year tradition on Mniší hora.

AAnnootthheerr ggiirraaffffee hhaassaarrrriivveedd oonn MMnniiššíí hhoorraa

Giraffes in Zoo Brno welcome anotherfemale. The half-year old and only threemetre tall Janette arrived on 10 April from theZoo in Dvůr Králové nad Labem to the herd onMniší hora. In Brno, her four-year-old sister

Janin, also born in Dvůr Králové, has beenexpecting her as has the three-year-old maleJamie. Giraffes in Bohemia are bred only inzoos in Brno and Dvůr Králové. Because thereis a kindred relationship between the Brnoand Dvůr groups, in the Fall of last zear, zool-ogists from both gardens initiated an

exchange of a Brno male for Jamie, who hadtraveled to Brno from British Whipsnade. Thegiraffe move is the result of long-term co-oper-ation between Zoo Brno and Zoo Dvůr Králové.Janin and Janette are descendents of thefemale that Zoo Brno acquired in 1991 fromthe Stuttgart Zoo. In 1998, a male was relo-cated for the purpose of common breeding toDvůr Králové with the idea that both gardenswould share in its first four offspring. Not onlythe exchange of females, but also the arrivalof Janette created the basis for new – and wehope successful – breeding of an endangeredsub-species of this noble and dignified repre-sentative of African fauna.

NNoott eevveenn PPeerreeDDaavviidd’’ss DDeeeerr rreemmaaiinnss aalloonnee

This month in May, a happy changewas noted in Zoo Brno … The newcomers arelinked both to the birth of young as well asimports of maturing individuals. In additionto a small Takin, two young gnus came intothe world at the Zoo and two reindeer hindsarrived from Finnish Ranua, it is necessary toinclude five Barbary Sheep from SwedishBoras. Not even Pere David’s Deer will remainalone in its run (Elaphurus davidianus). Twoyoung hinds were brought by breeders on 13May from the Chomotov Zoo Park. The

female, however, comes from the EstonianTallin Zoo, which owns a large herd of thistype already living only in zoological gardensor preserves and numbering only in severalthousand individuals.

(red)

Mother bear is still close to her offspring.

After the arrival of Janette from DvÛrKrálové, the giraffe was introduced intothe herd.

Keepers release one of two Pere David’s Deer hinds.

Photo

: Edu

ard S

tuchlí

kPh

oto: E

duard

Stuc

hlík

Photo

: Edu

ard S

tuchlí

k

PPeeooppllee hhaavvee nneeaarrllyyffoorrggootttteenn aabboouutt ttaakkiinnss

The birth of a young Indian Takin(Budorcas taxicolor taxicolor), which occurredin Zoo Brno on 30 April 2003, can be consid-ered as the greatest breeding success inrecent years – currently in Europe, the breed-ing of a Takin has successfully occurred inonly four gardens.

The ox-like, cloven-hoofed ungulateTakin is very rare in nature and also in captivi-ty. Many zoologists outside of Brno, when theyvisit Mniší hora, upon viewing the Takin, askwith surprise what kind of animal it is. TheTakin forms an independent family of cloven-hoofed ungulates related to the Chamois andMusk Ox. It was scientifically described in1850 on the basis of a hunter’s trophy. A liveTakin was first spotted by a European in 1906in the wilderness of Sikkim. A Takin firstreached Europe in 1912, in this case to theLondon Zoo. However, none of the breedingattempts in England succeeded. In 1974 and1975, as the eighth and ninth animals in cap-tivity, a pair of Takins were transferred fromthe Rangoon Zoo in Burma to Berlin’s Tierpark.All other European individuals originate from

this pair. In Bohemia, the zoological gardensin Prague and Brno breed the Indian Takin,while Takins in the Liberec Zoo belong to theChinese subgroup of Golden Takins (Budorcastaxicolor bedfordi).

The Brno group of Takins consists ofa male and two females, the offspring is alsoof the female gender. For additional breed-ing, it is necessary to acquire a non-relatedindividual, and this should originate onlyfrom outside of Europe. Zoo Brno therefore istrying to form contact with Rangoon Zoo andwith the Association of Indian Zoos.

This mammoth Takin, which weighs upto 400 kg, reminds one of a gnu or bison, ora domestic shaggy Indian Bison on powerfullegs. In the withers, it measures 130 cen-timeters, the body length reaches 230 cen-timetres. The massive head includes hornsabout 65 cm long, worn by both sexes.Despite its seeming clumsiness, it managesto leap swiftly from rock to rock. Thick brownfur has various light shades to yellow.

It native habitat is eastern Himalayaand the high mountains of Tibet, southernChina, Bhutan, Sikkim and northern Burma.It lives in mixed herds, only the age of themales differs. The territory of Takins is locat-ed on the upper reaches of the forest, whererhododendron growth predominates, andextends up to an elevation of 4500 metresabove sea level. In winter, they leave forbamboo groves in valleys, but only during themost brutal frosts do they move below an ele-vation of 2000 metres above sea level. It has

even developed a sense of smell that when itreaches an unknown location, it begins torapidly sniff all around itself like a dog. Itlives on grass, leaves and tree sprouts, andwhen grazing it sometimes stands on its hindlegs and tastes tree branches. The Takin looksthreatening and dangerous, but the snortthat it issues when it sees someone is onlya manifestation of friendly welcome. To real-ize what a pleasant animal the Takin is, justhave a look at its playful offspring.

The structure of a Takin’s body, living ininaccessible areas, has preserved many prim-itive components of recently extinct animals.The concept for development of Zoo Brnorests in the exhibition of larger groups ofTakins in sections, which will also display oth-er animal species affected by isolated envi-ronments in forming animal body features.

RNDr. Bohumil Král, CSc.

TThhee RReessppoonnssiibbiilliittyy

10

At a young several days old, the umbilical cord can stillbe seen.

Photo

: Lad

islav

Steh

lík

The mother never strays far from itsyoung.

Photo

: Edu

ard S

tuchlí

k

Rest in two.

Photo

: Edu

ard S

tuchlí

k

RReeiinnddeeeerr mmaalleess llooookkffoorrwwaarrdd ttoo ttwwoo ccoommppaanniioonnss

The male Polar Reindeer (Rangifertarandus), which over the past few year havelived alone on Mniší hora, will soon becomethe leading individuals in a five-memberherd.

Two young female reindeer, very simi-lar in type to the wild variety, were trans-ported by workers of Zoo Brno to Mniší horaat the beginning of May from the FinnishRanu Zoo. This garden, lying on the ArcticCircle, is engaged in rearing Arctic animals.The trip from Ranu to Brno, more than threethousand kilometres, was completed by thereindeer in a horse trailer in four days.

In their new home, the brave travellershad to handle a temperature shock. IcyNorthern Finland was still covered in snowand the heart of Europe was stricken by trop-ical. Initially, the females increased theirbreathing somewhat, but immediatelyaccepted feed and apparently enjoyed Brnowater. Acclimatization took place smoothly.The run is shaded by a thick crown of oaksand the reindeer know how to resist not justcold but also heat. Often in Arctic summer,the mercury can climb to more than 25degrees Celsius! The reindeer in Brno expect-ed a buck born in Belgium and – like themajority of reindeer in European zoo – usedto local climate. From these newcomers, onfirst glimpse, they are distinguished by muchlighter fur. The fact that the imported ani-

mals have a minimum of the features ofdomestication is a valuable breeding division.

The females at Mniší hora have gottenused to not just the higher temperatures, butalso somewhat different feed. Brno zoolo-gists brought a supply of mosses fromFinland, which serve the reindeer in the FarNorth as the main source of feed. To delivermosses regularly to the zoological gardenfrom such great distances is impossible, soreindeer in captivity are fed with special gran-ules with moss extract. Therefore in additionto mosses, the Finnish reindeer will alsoreceive granules until they adapt to their sub-stitute feed.

During the transfer toCentral European conditions,the northern animals havenot adapted just to hightemperatures and substitutefeed, but also in particular toa change in the bacterialenvironment. Reindeer areused to continuously scrap-ing the surface of the earth,which is practically sterile inthe tundra. In warmer areas,however, it is richer in bacte-

ria and spores. So Brno keepers and veteri-narians will have to carefully monitor thehealth of the reindeer from Ranu in the firstmonths, primarily the function of their intesti-nal tract.

The significant nutritive demands meanthe reindeer in the Zoo do not belong amongmuch frequented species; in Bohemia onlyzoological gardens in Prague, Olomouc,Chomutov and Brno keep them. Zoologistshave distinguished about twenty sub-speciesof Polar Reindeer. This animal lives in thetundra or forest-tundra areas in Alaska and innorthern Canada, in northern Europe andAsia, from Siberia the area of occurrencestretches from alpine regions to northernMongolia. European and Asian reindeer havebeen domesticated to various degrees, peo-ple use their meat, milk and skin and alsoharness the animals.

In the foreseeable future, the Brno rein-deer herd will grow by two additional femalsfrom the Vienna Zoo. When a reindeer meetsa female, their joy is multiplied, says a north-ern proverb. We hope that the meeting ofreindeer in Brno will always be happy and atleast their family will soon double.

Eduard Stuchlík

11

TThhee FFuuttuurree

Young reindeer females from Finland soon after their arrival at Mni‰í hora taste fresh oak leaves.

The reindeer is one species of deer in which both sexeshave antlers, while the males have the most grand.

Photo

: Edu

ard S

tuchlí

k

Photo

: Mich

al Pi‰

kula