Prague Zoo saves common crucian carp, releases dozens of fish into the pond in Vinoř
One of the common crucian carp before last year’s release into the former mill drive at the Troy Zoo. Photo: Miroslav Bobek / Prague Zoo
The first ever release of common crucian carp in the Czech Republic will take place this week in the northeast of Prague in Vinoř. Less than a hundred fish will be planted in the U Kamenného stolu pond, which were successfully bred in the Prague Zoo. The spokesperson of the garden, Filip Mašek, informed about it.
In the past, common crucian carp was found in dead ends, inhabited pools around rivers and rural ponds. Compared to other fish, it does not mind stagnant water with a lack of oxygen. However, the silver crucian carp was introduced into our waters, which pushed the common crucian carp out of its habitat and, unfortunately, other species of animals, such as amphibians, with it.
Last year, Prague Zoo, in cooperation with the Biological Center of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, set out to save common crucian carp. Over 160 individuals were released into the former mill drive in the grounds of the garden.
“After creating a backup population of our original common crucian carp in the Prague Zoo area, it should be released into other waters. Village ponds could be a typical example,” said the director of the Prague Zoo, Miroslav Bobek, last year.
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And the release of crucian carp into the wine pond will be the first successful result of creating a reserve population.
“With the help of the public, we would like to identify a locality where the original Czech crucian carp occurs or previously occurred. We are dealing with a pure population without silver crucian carp, which is considered to be the most widespread species in European waters,” said hydrobiologist Marek Šmejkal from the Biological Center of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic.
The pond U Kamenné stolu originates, as stated by the organization Lesy hl. m of Prague, from the beginning of the 19th century and is located in the Vinořský Park nature reserve. It is a flowing forest pond located on a tributary of the Vinořský stream. In the past, the entire area, including the pond, was part of the modified Vinořská zámecký park.
The text was created using information from the Prague Zoo