Zoo Ostrava The Annual Report 2009

A year of carnivores at Ostrava Zoo
Monika Ondrušová
The last year’s EAZA campaign devoted to European carnivores was the opportunity for the zoo to focus
on these predators as well. A number of visitor competitions and activities were arranged to make sure
that everyone could get involved. Our aim was not only to make people more familiar with the endangered
nature throughout Europe, but also raising funds to support European carnivore conservation projects as
part of the EAZA campaign. Every visitor had the opportunity of financial support by purchasing promotional
merchandise produced specifically for the campaign, like badges with wolf, lynx and bear design, pencils with
a bear picture or carnivore folding picture-booklet, and by leaving money in a money collector box placed in
the zoo grounds. Total net proceeds from the public collection amounting to 19,700 CZK were forwarded into
the account of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria.
European carnivores were central to many events designed for the public:
• 4 March: Large European Carnivores - a lecture given by Miroslav Kutal, Hnuti Duha (nature protection
NGO), Olomouc
• 19 April: The Earth’s Day - A European Carnivores Day
• 1 May: May-Day: Carnivores Howl to Warn
• 29 May: Children’s Day - Playing with Carnivores
• 21 June: Take Your Teddy Bear to the Zoo & Celebrate Panda’s Birthday
Beast Stories
The zoo published a subtle book of stories called "Beast stories or Fairy tales and rumours on carnivores ...
a little bit different" written by Moravian-Silesian primary school students who participated in the literary
contest launched by Ostrava Zoo under the campaign. The task was to create a fairy tale that would present
a carnivore positively to the public; everyone could write their own story or retell a traditional one. The book
was then circulated to kindergartens, family centres, children departments of hospitals and other institutions
designed to work with children throughout Moravian-Silesian Region. The book was published under the
financial support of the Czech Ministry of Environment.
Singing for Tigers
A musical contest was launched for the first time, designed for young non-commercial artists under 18, be it
singers or bands. The aim was to compose and sing the best and novel song for female tigers born at Ostrava
Zoo. The Singing for Tigers contest was arranged under the umbrella of a band from the town of Trinec named
Charlie Straight and the winner’s prize was more than attractive: the most innovative young musician was to
become a supporting act of the Trinec band at their gig at the zoo and at the same time a godfather to one of
the tiger girls. The winner of the two-month long contest became a female singer Anicka Cervenkova and the
tiger females were officially named Duffy and Darja on the day of the performance.
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