Pink pigeons form pairs during the nesting period, which guard and defend the nesting territory. When sitting on the eggs, the parents take turns, the male warming the eggs during the day and the female at night. Photo by Tereza Mrhálková, Prague Zoo
Prague Zoo commemorates 100 years since the birth of Gerald Durell, a well know writer and natural scientist who advocated for saving of the pink pigeons which Prague zoo successfully raised.
One hundred years have passed since the birth of the prominent naturalist and writer Gerald Durrell. He became famous not only for his efforts to save endangered animal species but also for his books. The Prague Zoo is therefore preparing a reading of his works for visitors in May. The book Golden Bats and Pink Pigeons became famous. It was this species of soft-billed bird that survived thanks to his rescue work, which became a model for many zoo workers around the world. The Prague Zoo was the first Czech zoo to acquire rare pigeons for breeding already in 2000.
Last year, six baby pink pigeons hatched at the Prague Zoo. It was a significant contribution, as it was the only breeding of that year in continental Europe. The Prague Zoo has been an important breeder for a long time, it raised its first cubs in 2001 – just one year after it acquired the rare birds from Mauritius. At the same time, pink pigeons are not easy to pair due to the aggressiveness of the males, and many of them are also unable to raise their young. Therefore, garden doves often become substitute foster parents. The year 2019 also became an important milestone, when the Prague Zoo raised five cubs completely naturally. “Together with the British zoological gardens, we are now a ‘superpower’ of our kind in pink pigeon breeding, says the director of the Prague Zoo, Miroslav Bobek. “There is even talk now that bred pink pigeons would be sent from Europe to Mauritius via Prague. If it did happen, it would certainly be the best repayment of the gratitude we feel towards Gerald Durrell.’
The photo shows a young pink pigeon. Pink pigeons feed their young in the same way as other soft-billed pigeons, the so-called pigeon milk. Photo by Tereza Mrhálková, Prague Zoo
The ancestors of the Prague pink pigeons were brought to Europe by Gerald Durrel, who acquired these endemics for his zoo on the island of Jersey in the 1970s directly from Mauritius. He thus demonstrated his experience and foresight, as their numbers later fell twice in the wild to just ten individuals – the last time in 1991. Durrell’s organization Wildlife Preservation Trust, later the Gerald Durrell Endemic Wildlife Sanctuary, was responsible for saving them directly in Mauritius. Thanks to this, in 2018 it was able to be reclassified from the original classification among the critically endangered species of the IUCN Red List to the “vulnerable” category. However, the pigeon bound to the evergreen mountain forests has lost 98% of its habitat, its nests destroyed by cats and other invasive species. It is also less resistant to trichomoniasis. In addition, it is currently threatened by very low genetic diversity. It is with this problem that zoos could significantly help, whose genetically valuable pigeons can restore populations in Mauritius. “The situation today is not entirely optimistic and outside the British Isles this species is kept in only 5 zoos in Europe. In 2024, apart from the United Kingdom, it was bred only in the Prague Zoo. But the path to breeding was not easy,” explains bird curator Antonín Vaidl. “Although we have been breeding this species for twenty-five years, it does not succeed as a breeder every year. To our delight, the year 2024 was successful, even though the obtained genetically valuable male did not seem promising at first. Surprisingly, however, immediately after meeting the female, he began courting the female, was peaceful, and managed to raise young. Once again, we were able to contribute to saving the species.”
The naturalist, who lived between 1925 and 1995, will introduce visitors to the Prague Zoo on May 10 and 11, 2025. He will read from his books in the Africa class of the Dja Reserve pavilion.