Chleby Zoo

Zoo Chleby is one of the smaller zoos in the village Chleby near Nymburk in Czech Republic, with its area of 4,4 ha. Its popularity is mostly based on relatively close contact of visitors with animals. Its registreded as ZOO Chleby, o. p. s. and is physically divided into two parts - on older one and a new one, because of the way it gained more land to build on.

Its founder and only director is Ing. René Franěk.

History

Chleby Zoo was founded as a public benefit organization on 5th of June, 1997, on the land of the former local clergy. Its basis was set on private collection of exotic birds of its founder René Franěk, and more species of both exotic and local fauna and flora were added over time. In its beginning, species such as bornean crested fireback, great argus or various species of tragopans or birds of prey were to be seen.

In 2004, the zoo gained license from Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic and became the first private zoo in Czechoslovakia after the Velvet revolution, and in the same year became a member of EARAZA (Euroasian Regional Association of Zoos and Aquaria), an association between zoos and aquaria of the former Soviet Union.

In 2006 a new entrance with a cash register and a souvenir shop has been opened. During 2006 and 2007, a new petting zoo with sheep, goats, alpacas and a nilgai was built. In 2007, a new yellow-cheeked gibbon exhibit inspired by Cambodian landmark Angkor Wat was opened. Two years later, a gibbon baby was born there.

In 2008 a new aquarium named Elbe exhibit, featuring various fish species of this river, was opened.

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Exhibit "Livingstone House" is being inhabited by kangaroos and wallabies after the death of cheetah. In the photo is a red-necked wallaby female with a joey.

In 2010, a new cheetah exhibit named Livingstone house inspired by the African house of the famous colonialist. After the death of its inhabitant, tamed female Mzuri, in 2019, the exhibit was renovated to house kangaroos and wallabies. In 2010-2011, the zoo also installed a collection of recently extinct species of vertebrates, such as thylacine, great auk or quagga.

In 2012, the first exhibit was built in the new part of the zoo. It was an exhibit for bactrian camels, and in 2018, the first calf was born, with others being succesfully born in the following years.

In 2013, two new exhibits were opened in the original older part of the zoo. First was the meerkat exhibit, consisting of an indoor ubication connected with an outdoor exhibit through an underground tunnel. Second one was a ring-tailed lemur exhibit, where lemurs were succesfully bred every subsequent year.

An importnant milestone in Chleby zoos history was the year 2014, when the new part became officially open, increasing its area from 0,8 ha to 4,4 ha.

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Female red-shanked douc with a baby - an iconic species of Chleby zoo

Really importnant for the zoo was also year 2016, when an exhibit for critically endangered red-shanked douc was opened. Indoor exhibit consists of a 35 m² pentagon, outdoor exhibit is an 60 m² octagon shaped dome with the height of 9,5 m. Three individuals (two females and a male) of this species were imported from Thailand, and in 2016, it was the only breeding group outside southeast Asia. In 2018, two males babies were born, and in 2020, another two male babies follower. In 2021, a listeriosis outbreak hit the troop, causing death the breeding male and two juveniles. In 2022, remaining two juvenile males were exported to Singapore Zoo. In 2025, the zoo keeps the remaining two females.

In the following years, most growth occurred in the new part of the zoo - in 2018, an asian black bear exhibit was opened with a breeding pair from Chita Zoo in Russia. In 2022, a single female cub was born.

In 2019 the zoo began building the lion exhibit, which was finished and opened in 2020. In 2020, a male barbary lion was imported here and in the next year another male south african lion was imported. The lions share their exhibit with a pack of banded mongooses and indoor spaces of the exhibit are two aquaria inspired by ichthyofauna of african lakes Malawi and Tanganyika.

In 2023, a Grant's zebra exhibit with stables was built, and during next year, a common warthog stable connected to the exhibit was built. This shared exhibit was officially opened in 2025.

Activity

Animal species

Animal species in Chleby Zoo

Year	Total species	Mammals	Birds	Reptiles	Amphibians	Fish	Invertebrates
2018	114	28	28	12	2	23	21
2019	129	33	29	12	2	23	30
2020	149	33	25	13	2	44	32
2021	163	33	25	13	3	53	36
2022	172	31	25	12	3	52	49
2023	223	32	23	13	4	61	90
2024	222	31	21	12	4	56	98

Breeding accomplishments

• historically: rhinoceros hornbill, first causasian grouse in the world
• 2009: yellow-cheeked gibbon (M)
• 2018: red-shanked douc (M, M) – first outside of Asia (awarded with Bílý slon award)
• 2020: red-shanked douc (M, M)
• 2022: asian black bear (F)
• 2025: golden-headed lion tamarin (M)

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Old part entrance in 200

Organisation memberships

Chleby Zoo became a member of Euro-Asian Regional Association of Zoos and Aquaria, EARAZA, in 2004. It is also a member of The World Pheasant Association, WPA, and works with coordinators of European Endangered Species Breeding Programmes, EEP. In 2017, it became a member od UCSZOO (Union of Czech and Slovak Zoos).

Other activities

Apart from regular visitor experience, Chleby Zoo also offers guided tours for both school and non-school groups, as well as various educational programmes, allowing visitors closer contact with some animals while supervides by a zookeeper. It also organises various events, such as sleepovers or holiday events, which are being advertised through its social media, such as Facebook.

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Ring-tailed lemurs are often kept in zoos. In the photo is a female with a newborn baby.

Exhibits

Old zoo

The original areal of the zoo is on the land of former clergy in Chleby. Nowadays, most of its exhibits are inhabited by birds, such as golden eagle, greater rhea or various chicken breeds, or primates, such as mantled guereza, ring-tailed lemur, yellow-cheeked gibbon or red-shanked douc, however, other animals, such as red kangaroo or sulcata tortoise are also to be seen there. Most notable exhibit is the douc exhibit, which was inhabited by the only breeding group of these primates outside their native southeast Asia during 2016-2021. You can also find a small petting zoo with dutch dwarf goats there.

Mendels ecocenter

This exhibit, named after a famous biologist Gregor Mendel, lies above the cash register in the new part of the zoo. It consists of three rooms, one being a historical replica of a biology classroom, second being a room for terrariums inhabited by various species of animals, notably for example primates of callitrichidae family, various rodents, reptiles and arthropods. Behind this room is a third room, a modern classroom designed for educational programmes the zoo offers.

Souvenir shop

Right at the new zoo entrance is a cash register and a souvenir shop. Importnant part of the place are several freshwater aquariums, a large marine aquarium with various species of tropical fish and cnidarians, and a paludarium with poison dart frogs.

Barn and a fallow deer exhit

Near the cash register are two exhibits allowing close contact with animals. One of them is a fallow deer exhibit, where visitors can enter, pet and feed the animals special pellets, the other one is a barn-style petting zoo with sheep and goats. Part of the barn is also an enclosure for donkeys and alpacas, which cannot be in contact with public.

Moonbear exhibit

Moonbear exhibits design was inspired by russian folk culture, the ubication is decorated to look like a log building. Part of the exhibit is also a view from atop of moonbear ubication. Since its opening in 2018, it is inhabited by two asian black bear named Balu and Angara, during 2022-2024 also by their daughter Misha. There is also a bactian camel exhibit nearby - the first one in the new part.

Africcan ungulate exhibit

The exhibit of african ungulates was officially opened in 2025 in the new part of the zoo. The stable buildings consist of two ubications opposite each other, one of them housing plains zebras (3 individuals since 2023), and one housing common warthogs. A coop for helmeted guinea fowl stands next to the warthog stable.

Between those stables lies a large enclosure shared by all listed species, next to which is a smaller outdoor enclosure just for warthogs. Atop of a warthog stable is also a resting place for visitors including a playground.

Lion house

At the rearest part of the zoo is a lion exhibit opened in 2020. The exhibit consists of an outdoor enclosure, indoor spaces for both animals and visitors and off-exhibit spaces for keepers. In the visitor area are also two 4 m long aquaria depicting fish of lakes Malawi and Tanganyika (such as cichlids). The exhibit is inhabited since its beginning by a barbary lion male Dabir from Plzeň Zoo, and since 2021 by another south african lion male Jasiri from Dvorec Zoo. They unusally share their exhibit with a pack of banded mongooses, which granted the exhibit its nickname "Lion house unlike any the world has ever seen". In 2023 it was awarded the award Bílý slon for a building of the year.

Gallery

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  Blue-and-yellow macaw
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  Nilgai
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  Ganesha statue
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  Four day old baby of the yellow-cheeked gibbon
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  Green iguana climbing on a fence
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  Greenery of the old part of the zoo
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  Sulcata tortoises eating watermelon and greens
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  Meerkat triplets
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  A couple of bactrian camels
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  Snowy owl camouflaged in the snow
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  Red-shanked douc family troop
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  Cheetah Mzuri eating
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  New caledonia giant gecko on top of a keepers hand
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  Two "mating" marginated tortoise males
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  Golden eagle
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  Ring-tailed lemur group with a juvenile
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  Newly hatched greater rhea chicks
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  Moonbears Balu and Angara playing with a pumpkin
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  Troop of pygmy marmosets
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  Lion males Dabir (right) and Jasiri (left)
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  Juvenile meerkats
• Mantled guereza female with a few day old baby
  Mantled guereza female with a few day old baby
• Douc female Ding
  Douc female Ding
• Group of doucs just before the export of two young males
  Group of doucs just before the export of two young males
• Black-tufted marmoset male with a baby
  Black-tufted marmoset male with a baby
• Juvenile moonbear Misha exploring her exhibit
  Juvenile moonbear Misha exploring her exhibit
• Warthogs Mon and Lisa
  Warthogs Mon and Lisa
• Zebras Penda, Dea and Granty
  Zebras Penda, Dea and Granty
• Young fallow deer in their visitor-accessible exhibit
  Young fallow deer in their visitor-accessible exhibit
• Peacock spreading his tail
  Peacock spreading his tail
• Douc female in her outside enclosure
  Douc female in her outside enclosure
• Red-necked wallaby female
  Red-necked wallaby female
• Juvenile gibbon Hynek returning to his mom
  Juvenile gibbon Hynek returning to his mom
• Juvenile gibbon Hynek escaping from his enclosure
  Juvenile gibbon Hynek escaping from his enclosure
• Göttingen pig
  Göttingen pig

External links

• cs:Zoologická zahrada Chleby
• Official web (multiple languages)

This article "Chleby Zoo" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Chleby Zoo. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

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