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The histroy of Zoo Hodonín |
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In 2011 The Hodonín Zoo, one of the youngest members of The Union of
Czech and Slovak Zoological Gardens, is going to celebrate thirty-five
years in existence. Plans to establish a zoo in Hodonín date back to
1972. The idea was first conceived by the town’s People’s Committee of
that time, headed by its chairman, Emil Schwarz, whose intention was to
set up a facility that would contribute to improving the environment,
expand options for active leisure time, and, in particular, partake in
educating schoolchildren and developing their relationship to living
nature. For that purpose, a plot on the outskirts of Hodonín Dúbrava
(oak wood) in the south-western part of the town was selected and in
1973 the Town’s Council approved the layout for the planned zoological
garden.
Construction work began
in April of the following year. The former National Front, the Forestry
Association, and the town’s citizens themselves participated in the
project and lent a helping hand in various ways during the construction
phase. Over three hundred people working on the site at the same time
was by no means an exceptional occurrence. A section of the zoo was
opened as early as in May 1976, in great part owing to the participants’
enthusiasm. The completed zoo, though, opened its gates on September 29,
1977. However, only a limited number of several species of domesticated
animals, beasts of prey, and small monkeys could be seen there at the
time.
During the next five
years of operation, with the facility registering more than seventy
thousand visitors in a single season, it became obvious that its
significance was much greater than first anticipated. In 1982 the
original zoo was granted the status of a zoo park, which was ten years
later promoted to that of a zoological garden. The facility concurrently
became a member of The Union of Czech and Slovak Zoological Gardens.
At present, the complex spreads over an area of about nineteen acres of
parkland and waterscape. The desired modernization has been achieved by
gradual renovation and construction of new pavilions. The height of the
process of modernization has been so far the Educational Centre, which
includes quarters and free-range areas for large felines, built thanks
to a nearly CZK 20 million grant made by the Environmental State Fund
and the town’s contribution. The latest addition is a charming flamingo
pavilion.
There are now over five
hundred native and exotic animals of more than a hundred and eighty
different species kept in the Hodonín Zoo. The facility at the same time
shelters about seventy endangered species of the world’s fauna and
thereby contributes to the fulfilment of the fundamental mission
zoological gardens stand for.
Some of the rare animal
species that the zoo visitors can admire include chimpanzees, lemurs,
guerezas, gibbons, clawed monkeys, a collection of exotic birds, zebras,
camels, various species of antelopes, as well as sharks, jaguars, a pair
of Ussuri tigers, and a very rare Barbary Lion that has become extinct
in the wild.
During its development,
the garden did not forget to include a range of complementary activities
and services, provided for visitors’ convenience. The grounds have been
expanded with a number of playgrounds with various attractions,
including a children’s corner with small domestic animals available for
petting. There are also two refreshment stands, a souvenir shop, and an
area to hold various cultural events. The fact that the Hodonín Zoo has
managed to preserve the natural character of the beautiful environment
of the alluvial forest despite the extensive changes, is appreciated by
professional and lay people alike.
Source: official web of
Zoo Hodonín (2011)
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