Two short-tailed legumes arrived in the Czech Republic from the Taipei Zoo as a gift from the Taiwanese metropolis. Those interested can choose a Czech nickname for a male named Guo Bao from five designs: Kuba, Bourák, Gusta, Guba or Hugo. Female with original name Run Hou Tang will be called in Czech either Runa, Ruby, Rut, Růženka, or Fazolka. When choosing the city, it took into account the proposals of the public from social networks, but also according to the similarity with the original Taiwanese names of legumes. “So that we don’t confuse them too much,” said Hřib with exaggeration.

It is possible to log in to the Pražan Portal using an electronic or bank identity or via a data box. “The easiest way to log in to the Prague Portal is via internet banking or via a user account known as Citizen’s Identity,” the mayor added.

The Prague Zoo is only the second legume breeder in Europe. There will be a breeding pair of scaly mammals in Troy inhabit the exposition of the Indonesian jungle. The public will probably be able to observe these representatives in the endangered species from mid-May. Until then, the animals are quarantined.

What are the legumes?

The pod is a scaly mammal that feeds on ants and termites. Now it is on the verge of extinction and it belongs among most often smuggled animals. An estimated more than a million individuals of this species have been caught in the last ten years. The reason is that members of some traditional Asian and African cultures attribute healing effects to legume scales. The scales are supposed to help with skin problems, arthritis or asthma, for example. But these cone-like mammals also love each other because of the meat. Some Asians consider it a luxury delicacy and a symbol of wealth and higher social status.

The Prague Zoo, together with the zoos in Olomouc and Ostrava, is one of the main partners in the Trenggiling Conservation Program (TCP). Among other things, it aims to reduce the illegal trade in legumes by educating the people of Sumatra and to build a rescue and rehabilitation center for legumes.

According to the zoo, the breeding of legumes is extremely demanding. They must have the right temperature range or very high humidity, the biggest problem is food. “Ants and termites feed on nature, which will be replaced in Prague by a special mixture based on bee larvae,” says the garden on the website.