Female lowland gorilla Duni in the outdoor enclosure of the Dja Reserve with her daughter Mobi, who will be exactly four months old tomorrow. Photo by Oliver Le Que, Prague Zoo
The eight-strong gorilla troop at the Dja Reserve visited the outdoor enclosure for the first time with the two cubs this week. Giraffes, zebras and antelopes graze in the open air in the large African enclosure, hippos alternately sunbathe and swim in the pool, and elephants enjoy their first spring mud bath. Lions or tigers also come out of the pavilion, and a whole range of bird species nest across the grounds. Due to the warm weather and increasingly later sunsets, the Prague Zoo is also extending its opening hours from today until 7 p.m. – exceptionally a month earlier than usual.
Elephants Tamara (left foreground) and Lakuna (right background) enjoy a mud bath in the grass enclosure of the Elephant Valley, where the female herd can be found in the morning. Thanks to these baths, Indian elephants take care of their skin, which protects them from the sun and insects, moisturizes it and at the same time cools down in general – elephants lack sweat glands on most of their bodies. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
“At the current daily temperatures of around twenty degrees Celsius, visitors will see the vast majority of animals at the Prague Zoo outside throughout the day. The lowland gorillas in the Dja Reserve have a slightly different regimen, even with regard to the delicate young, the best chance to observe them grazing on fresh grass is between ten and two o’clock,” advises the Zoological Deputy of the Prague Zoo, Jaroslav Šimek.
Both amphibious hippos – Maruška (right) and Tchéco (left) – receive their species name daily in front of visitors. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
Prague Zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. starting May 1. How to save time and money with an electronic ticket or which day or entrance to the zoo is the least crowded? You can find the answers to these and other questions in our tips for visiting the Prague Zoo: https://www.zoopraha.cz/aktualne/14642-deset-tipu-pro-navstevu-zoo-praha.
The female Sumatran tiger Surya enjoys the current temperature in the outdoor enclosure of the Animal and Reptile Pavilion in the lower part of the zoo. Photo by Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo
Common wombats of the Tasmanian subspecies like spring temperatures of around twenty degrees Celsius, so there is a good chance to catch them in the enclosure: preferably around 2 pm. Pictured is a male Cooper. Photo by Oliver Le Que, Prague Zoo