| |
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 factory owner, had the house built in
1905. After nationalisation of the textile industry in 1945, the town’s
Vlastivědné museum (history museum) was set up in the mansion. Over time,
cages containing animal species from Europe were erected which became a
part of the museum - the origins of the zoo today.
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. Surprisingly, all the cages and
enclosures had to be constructed by zoo personnel, particularly during
the first few decades in the zoo’s history. Most significantly, an old
greenhouse for palm trees was transformed into the Tropical House,
housing primates, birds, and Rémus, the first lion at Dvůr Králové.
1950s and 1960s: Modernisation
The first real development of the zoo occurred under
František Císařovský, the zoo’s director in 1956 – 1965. Although a
lot of construction work was still carried out by staff, the first large
modern buildings such as the terrarium, polar bear enclosure, carnivore
houses, elephant house and others were put up. In total, the zoo’s
grounds increased to 28 ha and the collection was added to with a number
of rare and exotic species. At the same time, visitor numbers went up,
reaching about 250,000 a year and dramatically raising the profile of
Dvůr Králové Zoo amongst other zoos in Czechoslovakia.
African expeditions
The ’70s were an important time for the zoo, as 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 the brainchild of Josef Vágner (Dipl. Ing. ,CSc.), the zoo’s director between 1965 and 1983. These were largely hoofed
animals 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.
What a difference three years make
Jiří Svoboda (Dipl. Ing.), the director of the zoo in
1984 – 1986, ushered in a period of intense modernisation, as well as
taking charge of updating displays at the zoo. 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 under Pavel Suk (DVM), the zoo’s
director in 1988 – 1990, on 8 May 1989.
Present
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 (Dr.Sc.), the
results of which are both extraordinary and globally important. Due to
its number of animals, the zoo ranks amongst the largest, best-known and
most famous zoological parks in the Czech Republic. Moreover, it boasts
the greatest number of African species in Europe, and is considered by
some as one of the most beautiful zoos in the world. 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. This
usually takes place from mid-May through to the end of September. Since
2003, double deck buses have been used for this purpose.
Dvůr Králové Zoo is a member of the Union of Czech and Slovak
Zoos (UCSZ), founded in 1990. The Union has 19 members including
15 zoos in the Czech Republic, and 4 in Slovakia.
Zoo is a part of the conservation community worldwide
Internationally, Dvůr Králové Zoo’s reputation has also been
on the rise. Since 1995, the zoo has been a full member of the European
Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), an organiser of European-wide
co-ordinated breeding programmes (EEP). Currently, Dvůr Králové
Zoo participates in 33 EEPs. Out of the total number of the species held,
35 have been registered under the European Studbook system (ESB).
In addition, Dvůr Králové Zoo became a member of the World Association
of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) in 1997. This association unites
about 150 major zoological parks throughout the world. Moreover, the zoo
is a member of IZE - International Zoo Educators – and is the only zoo
from the former Eastern block with a representative on this body’s
senior executive staff.
Source: official
site of Zoo Dvůr
Králové nad Labem (2011)
|
|
