Make a trip to the world unique and famous ZOO in the town Dvur Kralove, specialized in African fauna. It is the largest institution breeding African animals in Europe. Enjoy seeing it also from the Safaribus. The private evening Safaribus rides are possible. It is an 8 hour round trip.

This Zoo is situated not far from the largest Czech mountains-the Giant Mountains (Krkonoše), in the pictureque valley of the brook "Netreba". This is why we offer clean enviroment and a beautiful natural scenery. In the last decade, old objects were renewed and both the visitor’s service and their safety improved. For this reason, all carnivores and large primates are separated from the visitors by glass. The facilities and enclosures are designed to imitate the natural enviroment and, at the same time, to allow the animals to live nad to behave naturally. There are natural barriers between the visitors and the animals, which are safe but do not spoil the views.


History
The Zoological Garden was founded on the site of an original private park with beautiful copy of a rennaisance castle (the original is located near Vinna), which had been built by the faktory owner Richard Neumann at the beginning of the 20th century. After the textille industry had been nationalized in 1945, there was a municipal Nature History Muzeum in the „villa“ and also cages with European animals around it- a basis to the future Zoo. The Zoo was officially opened to the public on May 9th, 1946 on the territory of just 6,5 ha. During the first decades, the individual cages and enclosures were built up by vollunteers. The first real developtment of the Zoo was realized at the time of director Frantisek Cisarovsky (1956-1965). A number of activities were still completed on a voluntary basis, the first large animal houses were constructed in this period. They were the most modern ones of that time in the former Czechoslovakia (Terrarium, Polar Bear Exhibit, Carnivore Houses etc.). The entire Zoo’s area was increased to 28 ha and the animal collection was expanded with several rare and exotic species. At the same time, the annual number of visitors increased to 250 thousands persons. The next turning point was the in the seventies, when the Zoo organised 8 expeditiones into various African countries and imported around 2 thousands animals.
The Zoo’s specialization in African fauna was through Josef Vagner, MSc. (1965-1983). The imported animals (primarily hoof-stock, but also carnivores, monkeys and reptiles) were the basis today’s unique breeding, which represents a gene-bank for many African hoofed animal species in Europe. Today, the Zoo is proud of the worldwide unique breeding of rhinos, giraffese, buffaloes, zebras and many antelope species. In terms of numbers of animals it is the largest Zoo of our country and it is the best known Czech Zoo. It is also the largest institution breding African animals in Europe and it belongs among the most beautiful Zoo’s in Europe and in the World. It presents the Safari in summer (from the middle of May until the end of September), where visitors take a ride among free living animals in special Safaribusses. The Safari was opened for visitors on May 8th, 1989.
Dvur Kralove is a member of the Czech and Slovak Union of Zoological Gardens (UCSZ), founded in 1990, with 15 Czech and 4 Slovak member Zoo’s.
The Zoo’s international significance is also increasing. Since 1995, it is member of European Association of Zoological Gardens and Aquaria (EAZA), which also takes care of the European Endagered Species Programmes (EEP). Since 1997, Dvůr Králové Zoo is also member of the World Zoo Organisation (WZO-known also as IUDZG), which includes around 150 of the most important World Zoo’s.
The latest important activities in the Zoological Garden’s history were the construction of the new Carnivore House (1993), reconstruction and enlarging of the facility for forest Bongo Antelopes (1997), opening of the tropical house „World of Birds“ with a free flying hall, unique for Central Europe (1998) and the general reconstruction of the Fish and Reptile House- "The World of Water" (1997-99), the opening of the Lemur’s Island (1999), the construction of the House for our elephant male "Mooti" (2000), the Exhibit for Grey Hornbills and Cap Squirrels, the Freeflying Aviary (2002) and general reconstruction of the House for Pygmy Hippos.

In the past, the Zoo’s were founded as animal menageries, where wild and exotic animals were exhibited to amuse the public. Little was known about the animals‘ needs, which often died young and without any breeding. Today’s Zoological Gardens, however, play an important role in the field of conservation, research, education and recreation.
The return of animals back to the wild is a part of the succesful breeding of endagered animals in captivity, which is, of course, possible only if there is a safe habitat available. It is surely not by chance, that our Zoo has become famous for returning African ungulates back to the wild.The first animals, which we returned back to their home-Africa, were cape buffaloes, roan antelopes and sable antelopes.
The Zoo’s specialization is African fauna. Our rarest animal is the nothern white rhino, the last 24 specimen of these subspecies survive today in only one place, the National Park Garamba in the Republic of Congo. Only 10 individuals are in cacptivity. 9 of them are owned by Dvůr Králové Zoo, where also the only 4 captive born youngs were succesfully reared.
Dramatic changes in the enviroment and of natural conditions for wild animals put new, so far unsolved questions to the scientists and researchers in ecology, genetics, reproductive biology, veterinary medicine and other fields. Today, rhinos are the most intensively investigated animals-no wonder, our group of nothern white rhinos belongs to the rarest animals in the world. The research of their genetics and reproduction is being realized in co-operation with the Veterinary University in Vienna and the Centre for Research of endagered Animal Species in San Diego.
Hundreds of school classes and their teachers visit Dvůr Králové Zoo every year to take part in our education programmes. During the lessons with topics such as the „Tropical Forest“, „Savannah“, „Life in the Water“, „Tiger“ or „ Domestic Animals“ they not only follow the lecture by the Zoo-teacher and the video, but also work independently straight in the field. There are also special programmes for handicapped visitors-for blind people and those with low vision, who can, often for the first time in their lifes, touch living animals or special preparations. If you are interested to learn more about the life in our Zoo, about our breeding success and special activities, come and visit our Centre for Enviromental Education, where we present videoprogrammes every day.

It is 2,5 hour to drive from Prague to the NorthEast.
Trip:
1)Zoo Dvur Kralove CNNE10 - 8 hour round trip


Our popular tours are outlined on our web sites:
www.private-tours.net
www.private-tours.cz
jewish.tourstoprague.com