Stomp, explore or savour properly. An extraordinary experience awaits visitors at Zoo Prague next week. Nearly two dozen animals will have their diets enriched by pumpkins. While turtles, hippos or iguanas will enjoy the orange fruits, for carnivorous or insectivorous species they will serve as a fun diversion. For example, breeders will delight prairie dogs or bear devils with pumpkin-stuffed chickens and quail. On Friday, Prague Zoo served pumpkins for the first time to twin polar bears Gregor and Aleut.
During the autumn holidays, from Monday 28 October to Friday 1 November, visitors to Zoo Prague can look forward to the traditional pumpkin feast. The programme across the zoo grounds will offer approximately eight attractive stops each day.
On Monday morning, pumpkins will be given first to the diggers and meerkats. For these African House residents, the keepers will hide juicy insects in them, which they will have to retrieve with their tongues or dexterous paws.
On Tuesday, the Wagner bakers will eat their fill of pumpkins on the Plains. As a delicacy and a favourite enrichment, the orange fruits are particularly successful with the Indian elephants, but the latter are keen to squash them first. On Wednesday, the resourceful kea nesters in the outdoor aviary of the Reed Pavilion will try to get their hands on the popular nuts.
Thursday's programme will invite children and adults to the Great Turtle Pavilion or the Reptile and Beast Pavilion, where Cuban iguanas will enjoy a pumpkin. The atmosphere of the autumn zoo continues on Friday, when people can go to see South American tapirs, royal condors or polar bears.
Animals love to play, discover and explore. Different types of enrichment, such as unusual food, toys or other stimuli, are therefore important for the mental and physical activity and well-being of animals.
The complete programme of the pumpkin feast at the Prague Zoo:
Monday
- 10.00 rakes (African House)
- 10.15 surikats (African House)
- 11.00 talapoini (Booking Dja)
- 13.00 Big Turtles (Big Turtle Pavilion)
- 14.00 Cuban iguanas (Reptile and Beast Pavilion)
- 14.00 wombats (Darwin's Crater)
- 15.00 Cuban metallurgy (Across Continents)
Tuesday
- 10.00 rakes (African House)
- 10.30 Hippos (Hippo Pavilion)
- 11.00 talapoini (Booking Dja)
- 13.00 Big Turtles (Big Turtle Pavilion)
- 14.00 Cuban iguanas (Reptile and Beast Pavilion)
- 14.00 Elephants (Valley of the Elephants)
- 15.00 prairie dogs (Across continents)
- 15.30 Wagner bakers (Plains)
Wednesday
- 10.00 rakes (African House)
- 10.30 Hippos (Hippo Pavilion)
- 11.00 nestoři kea (outdoor exposition of the Rákos Pavilion)
- 13.00 Big Turtles (Big Turtle Pavilion)
- 14.00 Cuban iguanas (Reptile and Beast Pavilion)
- 2.00 p.m. puppies (Reservation Dja)
- 15.00 Cuban metallurgy (Across Continents)
- 15.30 Wagner bakers (Plains)
Thursday
- 10.00 rakes (African House)
- 10.15 surikats (African House)
- 11.00 nestoři kea (outdoor exposition of the Rákos Pavilion)
- 13.00 Big Turtles (Big Turtle Pavilion)
- 14.00 Cuban iguanas (Reptile and Beast Pavilion)
- 14.00 Elephants (Valley of the Elephants)
- 15.00 prairie dogs (Across continents)
- 16.00 Bear devils (Darwin's Crater)
Friday
- 10.00 rakes (African House)
- 10.15 surikats (African House)
- 11.00 nestoři kea (outdoor exposition of the Rákos Pavilion)
- 13.00 Big Turtles (Big Turtle Pavilion)
- 13.30 South American tapirs (tapirs opposite Darwin's Crater)
- 14.00 Cuban iguanas (Reptile and Beast Pavilion)
- 14.00 Bears (Polar Bears)
- 15.00 Royal condors (aviaries at the south entrance)
zoopraha.cz / gnews.cz - HeK
Photo: Oliver Le Que, Prague Zoo
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