Zoo Ostrava The Annual Report 2009

Zoo with total project costs of CZK 10,100 thousand will be underway and completed in 2010, with 2,100
thousand CZK to be provided by the Operational Programme Environment (OPE), and the remainder
amounting to 8,000 thousand CZK allocated by SCO. Within the project, the mud will be removed from
the pond, a littoral zone set up and eroded parts of the pond banks and dykes restored. To enlarge the
pond water surface area by adding littoral zones, the main drainage sewer of the pond will be extended
and deepened, with the sediment removed used for setting up new islands and expanding the existing
ones. The project aims to remove mud, reinforce the eroding pond sides and reconstruct the existing
banks including the dyke. Additionally, creating new islets will help implement favourable measures in
terms of landscape and ecosystem diversity; it will also increase retention capacity of the landscape, as
well as preserve and restore natural runoff conditions. Two existing islands to accommodate lemurs will
be enlarged and interconnected by three walkways as part of visitor routes, while the third island will
be enlarged and separated from the remainder, as it will host a gibbon exhibit later on. Then there will
be two new islands created and connected with the adjoining banks and each other by three walkways
linked to the system of paths and log roads, while also placed to form a natural barrier between the
sika deer enclosure and surrounding unfenced part of the pond. A total of six bridges 12 and 9.5 m long
interconnecting the islands and the banks are designed as walkways made of a steel bridge deck combined
with timber elements forming walking surfaces and handrails. Within the existing forest stand section,
the visitor route across the two new islands will be interconnected with new path units by a log road 42.8
m long, to be also designed for direct viewing of the neighbouring sika deer enclosure to be set up, from
which the log road will be separated by handrail and artificial ditch erected along the artificial retaining
wall of the log road. The lengthwise gradient of the log road is designed to meet the requirements for
movement of persons with reduced ability to move or sense of direction. The existing fence of the pond
dyke will be removed and replaced with a new fence. The works will include new fencing for planned crane
and sika deer enclosures, with a log hay-barn constructed for the latter species, a critically endangered
animal.
• In the course of 2010, a gas supply system including mains will be set up within the zoo grounds,
with a total costs of some 9,000 thousand CZK, which will be covered directly from the SCO's budget. The
specific buildings and structures including the carnivore house, primate house, hippo & rhino house and
education facility to a gas heating system will bring significant savings of funds in the years to come, as the
existing facilities are now heated by highly expensive electric energy. In addition, alternating electricity
using natural gas will reduce CO 2 emissions.
In 2009, a project development phase was launched, underway or completed for the following
operations:
• Design development was finished for the Visitor Centre that will not only provide the much-needed
restaurant operated all the year long, but also offer premises for conservation education, conferences and
workshops. In 2009, an application was filed by the zoo to get funding for the project implementation
from EU Structural Funds, more specifically, the Regional Operating Programme (ROP) Moravia Silesia.
Unfortunately, the Regional Council of the Moravian-Silesian Cohesion Region did not find the application
attractive enough for the development of the regional tourism. In 2010, the zoo's attempts to seek funding
for the project within the next calls of the Moravian-Silesian Regional Operation Programme are to
continue.
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