Prague Zoo reveals its animal orphans this year during the Advent season. The traditional campaign Adopt Me! looking for patrons for unjustly neglected animals. A total of six species including mammals, birds, but also reptiles, and fish, which do not receive enough public attention. Their support is a popular Christmas gift – not only for them but also for your loved ones.
“At the end of the year, we traditionally present so-called animal orphans to the public. At the same time, it is not only about getting supporters of their breeding but also about introducing lesser-known or overlooked animal species,” says the director of the Prague Zoo, Miroslav Bobek.
He believes that every animal is something interesting and deserves people’s interest. “Gorillas, wombats, sea lions or nutcrackers attract a decisive part of the attention. Now we’re trying to get it to less attractive animals.”
The adoption of animals or their sponsorship is a long-standing popular product of the Prague Zoo. The adoptive parent becomes a member of the zoo’s friends club and is invited to important social events: for example, the season-opening ceremony in the spring, the annual celebration in September, or the sponsors’ meeting in December.
And who is looking for their patrons this year?
This year’s group of animal orphans is revealed, and their faces have already filled the public space not only in Prague and other Czech cities, but also in virtual space. QR codes on posters represent the easiest form of adoption – for example in the form of an original Christmas gift.
The Saharan gundi is guaranteed to be the furriest figure. It is characterized by its compact body, large eyes, and exaggerated skin, to the point of creating folds that, with a little exaggeration, evoke a Shar Pei dog. These desert rodents inhabit the Africa Pavilion up close, where visitors can often see them huddled together basking under a heat lamp.
This year’s group of animal orphans is revealed, and their faces have already filled the public space not only in Prague and other Czech cities, but also in virtual space. QR codes on posters represent the easiest form of adoption – for example in the form of an original Christmas gift.
The position of the rarest animal is occupied by the crested kagu. This New Caledonian endemic may resemble a heron, but in reality it has no close relatives. He can’t fly, because he was originally not threatened by any predators in his homeland. With the arrival of Europeans, rats and cats were introduced to the islands, making the kagu an endangered species today. In the zoo, this graceful bird is an absolute rarity due to its excellent pair fidelity. In the Prague one, people can find it in its lower part.
This year’s group of animal orphans is revealed, and their faces have already filled the public space not only in Prague and other Czech cities, but also in virtual space. QR codes on posters represent the easiest form of adoption – for example in the form of an original Christmas gift.
There are never enough crested cockatoos, so this year the raven cockatoo also got its space. The elegant Australian species breaks the general stereotype of white cockatoos – it is black with transverse orange ripples. The parrot does not deny its colorful tail feathers. According to indigenous mythology, these lovers of eucalyptus seeds herald the arrival of the rains with their loud speech. In the Prague Zoo, they inhabit Darwin’s Crater.
This year’s group of animal orphans is revealed, and their faces have already filled the public space not only in Prague and other Czech cities, but also in virtual space. QR codes on posters represent the easiest form of adoption – for example in the form of an original Christmas gift.
This year, the traditional campaign has an unusually wide representation of winged birds, but it is not surprising: the South American stickleback is not only a fascinating species like the two already mentioned, but also has a “superpower”. Thanks to its exceptionally long toes, it distributes its weight and can walk on aquatic vegetation, e.g. on water lilies. Those interested can see his careful walking on the water surface in the Rákos pavilion.
This year’s group of animal orphans is revealed, and their faces have already filled the public space not only in Prague and other Czech cities, but also in virtual space. QR codes on posters represent the easiest form of adoption – for example in the form of an original Christmas gift.
Another seemingly neglected species is actually newly bred at the Prague Zoo. So the Bates dog is just starting to look for his adoptive parents. These days, attentive visitors can discover it for the first time in the Terrarium pavilion. The emerald green boa constrictor boasts the longest teeth of any non-venomous snake! In combination with the shape of the head, the rare reptile has earned a poetic family name.
This year’s group of animal orphans is revealed, and their faces have already filled the public space not only in Prague and other Czech cities, but also in virtual space. QR codes on posters represent the easiest form of adoption – for example in the form of an original Christmas gift.
Advent includes fairy tales, miracles and fulfilled wishes, so it is appropriate to include one “goldfish” among the orphans. Bleher’s iris perfectly fulfills this characteristic, at least visually. In addition to its coloring, the nimble fish is also attractive due to its conspicuously high back, especially in males. Even so, it was only discovered for science in 1982. A flock of irises in the Prague Zoo is running through an aquarium in the Indonesian jungle.
In addition to animal orphans, people can of course choose from hundreds of other animal species kept at the Prague Zoo.
You can easily fill out the adoption or sponsorship form on the website https://www.zoopraha.cz/jak-pomoci/adopce/seznam-zvirat-pro-adopci.
Photo of the Prague Zoo