Prague Zoo celebrated the 90th anniversary of its opening in the spirit of the First Republic
Updates: 09/28/2021 17:55
Released: 28.09.2021, 15:15
Prague – In the spirit of the First Republic, the Prague Zoo today celebrated 90 years since its opening. Visitors were already welcomed at the entrance by the zoo staff in period costumes, and they gave small gifts to people who also came in historical clothes. One of the most visited places in the capital of visitors first opened its gates on September 28, 1931.
The celebrations of the zoo were conceived in the spirit of the 1930s. A swing band played at the educational center near the main entrance to the complex, and visitors could participate in swing workshops. In the morning, a procession of people in period costumes also passed from the educational center to the Archa Theater. Historic cars and motorcycles were also on display in the area.
In honor of the anniversary of its opening, the Prague Zoo has also released a limited edition of Trojan tolars, which is possible at e-shop State security printers. The prints depict popular animals from the Troja Zoo, namely the Indian elephant, the South African sea lion and the lowland gorilla. The money from the sale of tolars is used by zoos to finance its projects, which aim to protect endangered species in areas of their natural occurrence.
Before the opening of the Troja Zoo in Prague, there are various menageries, but there is no publicly available spectacle of exotic animals. Jiří Janda, a high school professor and ornithologist, who also became the first director of the newly opened facility, had the greatest credit for the long-term efforts to build gardens in the Czech capital.
Originally, the zoo was supposed to be built in Štvanice, but after the Second World War, the landowner Alois Svoboda donated land in Troja to the towns on the condition that a zoo would also be built on them. The first animal, which did not have a suitable quarters, was the lioness Šárka donated by the Rebernigg circus in 1930. The wolf Lotta then became the first official inhabitant of the zoo.
Last year and this year, the zoo saw a drop in visitors due to the covidu-19 pandemic. In 2019, however, the visitor record of the zoo was broken, when 1,456,526 visitors came to its gates. Last year, 851,623 people came to the garden.