Good news for all of the Zoo visitors. Young crocodiles have been hatching. So far, the first Crocodylus siamensis of this year has been born (see the photo). This means a great success, this species is endangered critically. In the incubator, which is being located directly within the exposition, you can find eggs of both Crocodylus siamensis and those of Crocodylus rhombifer which are going to hatch in the coming weeks. Furthermore, mating of Crocodylus palustris is proceeding. These crocodiles have been mating  exclusively in the presence of visitors who can then follow the reproductive cycle, which is very rare.

 

Mating of Crocodylus palustris

Hatching of Crocodylus siamensis

One male and three female adult Crocodylus mindorensis have been imported to the Protivin Crocodile Zoo.We visited the Philippines in February 2009 and met with responsible persons at Silliman University, Palawan Crocodile Farming Institute and others to establish a breeding loan agreement, and discussed support for Philippine biodiversity conservation projects. The Czech Crocodile Zoo also gave financial support for the building of exhibits for critically endangered Hornbill-species at the Kabankalan Rescue Center / DENR. This summer representatives of the Protivín Crocodile Zoo, Avilon Zoo and DENR signed Breeding Loan Agreement of phillipipines crocodiles. So Czech crocodile zoo has become an official participant in the Phillipine Crocodile Conservation Programm.

 

Saturday, 3 October is declared as Day of Animals. Protivin Zoo celebrated this feast by baptizing Little Picture Crocodile Atlas of Miroslav Procházka, the owner and entrepreneur of the Crocodile ZOO.

 

This little book is written mainly for the public. As the first picture crocodile atlas in the Czech Republic, it introduces its readers to the living crocodile species all around the world. In co-operation with IUCN, the earnings of the book sales will be used to rescue Mesangat Area in Indonesia where there are several tens of Tomistoma Schlegelii and Crocodylus Siamensis still surviving in the wildlife. Protivin ZOO has become one of the world ZOOs supporting the project of rescuing conservation station which is to be established on the rainforest area of about 6, 000 ha on Borneo up to 2012.

 

The baptism of the atlas was performed by RNDr. Aleš Toman, the zoologist of Jihlava ZOO, well-known for hispopular children series "Vydrýsek" or "Podivuhodná cesta ježka Aladina". The wish of successful sales of the book was rendered both by Karel Vlasák, the councillor of the South-Bohemian Region for the environment and countryside development, and by Jiří Netík, the chairman of the Committee for the Environment and Countryside Development , as well as by Jaromír Hlaváč, the Mayor of Protivín City.

 

The book is printed by Studio Gabreta s.r.o. České Budějovice. It is being sold for CZK 60 in Protivín ZOO and other selected bookshops. Its English version for West-European, American and Asian markets is being prepared too.

 

 

  

• Entrance fee discount from CZK 40 to CZK 30/person

• Lectures dealing with protection of nature from the point of view of renewable energy resources and their relevance

 

 

• Entrance fee discount from CZK 50 to CZK 40/person

• Visit can be realized within lessons of Science/Biology– we exhibit all groups of reptiles - 22 crocodiles, turtles, snakes and lizards with expert presentations

• Lectures dealing with protection of nature from the point of view of renewable energy resources and their relevance

  

 

• Entrance fee discount from CZK 100 to CZK 60/person

• Lectures dealing with protection of nature from the point of view of renewable energy resources and their relevance

 

On 11th and 13th July young Crocodylus rhombifer hatched out in the ZOO. This has been for the fourth time when the owner of the ZOO experienced hatching out of the crocodiles, twice of which as the official ZOO manager.

 

This breeding event is very exceptional due to the large amount of the hatched-out young ones – 20 healthy young crocodiles were born out of 25 eggs. This amount is really unique and proves excellent zootechniques applied in the ZOO.

 

Due to the fact that one of the incubators, where the eggs were developing, had been placed directly at the exhibition area of the zoo, the zoo visitors had the opportunity to follow hatching out of the crocodiles. They have still had the same opportunity thanks to the fact that there are also eggs of Crocodylus siamensis placed in the incubator which are to hatch out in the nearest future.

 

All the young crocodiles have been bred at the exhibition area, which means that visitors can watch also the youngest generation of the crocodiles critically endangered from extinction.

 

 

The Crocodile ZOO of Protivín have been successfully participating in the tradition set a few years ago by various wildlife parks. On Wednesday 20 May 2009 it organized baptism of its bred youngs. Little Crocodylus rhombifer, the first bred youngs in the short history of the ZOO were baptised. In the last year nine youngs were bred, three of which – one male and two females became the main agents of this ceremonial event.

 

Charge d'affaires of the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba Mrs Barbara Montalvo took charge of the ceremony. She surprised all the presented audience including Ing. František Štangl, Councillor for Cultural Issues of the South-Bohemian Region and Jaromír Hlaváč, Mayor of the City of Protivín with its kind informal manners.

 

From the left, Councillor for Cultural Issues of the South-Bohemian Region Ing. František Štangl, Mayor of the City of Protivín Jaromír Hlaváč, Charge d'affaires of the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba Mrs Barbara Montalvo together with her assistant and interpreter Eva Mánková and the ZOO entrepreneur Ing. Miroslav Procházka.  

On Wednesday 20 May 2009 at 10 a.m. supporters and fans of Protivín Zoo are invited to participate in the Celebration of the baptism of Crocodylus rhombifer youngs who were bred in the Zoo last year as the first young crocodiles in the history of the Zoo after granting it with a licence.

The baptism ceremony is to be led by charge´d´affaires Bárbara E. Montalvo from Prague Ambassy of the Republic of Cuba. Furthermore, František Štangl, a member of Municipality of South Bohemia and Jaromír Hlaváč, Mayor of the City of Protivín are going to participate in this event.

 

The Zoo management invites all the lovers of nature to this celebration.

 

At the end of April our ZOO witnessed a significant step in breeding of two critically endangered crocodile species. The eggs were laid by females of Crocodylus siamensis and Crocodylus rhombifer.

 

The female of Crocodylus siamensis laid the eggs directly in her exhibiting cage on sunday, 19 April 2009 in the afternoon. All the process was followed with a camera. There were 9 eggs laid, each of them of average size of 9x5.5cm. One of the eggs was unfortunately broken when the female was being caught before taking the eggs. The other eight ones were placed into an incubating station directly at the exhibiting place by the parents´cage. 

 

The female of Crocodylus rhombifer laid the eggs in the cage on the farm in Chvalšiny on 21 April at 1.30 a.m. The beginning of the laying was noticed with a web camera and so the eggs were taken immediately after laying. Compared to the last year, the number of eggs has slightly risen - 26 eggs in total. one of them broke when falling on the stone, it means 25 eggs. Four of the eggs were transported into Protivín. Zoo visitors can thus observe developing of eggs and coming out of the young ones which is to be expected in the second half of July.

 

In the second half of the year 2008 we managed to get two new crocodile species into our collection which has thus reached the amount of twenty different species.

To be precise: In August we brought two wonderful Mecistops cataphractus, each of them more than two metres long. They were brought from Aquazoo Düsseldorf and this event was filmed and broadcasted by German TV.

The other imported crocodile - Crocodylus palustris was brought at the beginning of December from the Zoo Wroclaw. The pictures can be seen in photogallery. This three-metre long crocodile is now located in the quarantine place on the farm in Chvalšiny. Nevertheless, we suppose him to enrich our exposition in Protivín since the beginning of May. Thanks to his size of three metres, he ranks among the largest crocodiles of this kind being bred in Europe. His original homeland is Indian subcontinent. Together with this crocodile, a male crocodile of Crocodylus moreletii species have also been brought from Wroclaw, thus completing a breeding couple.