Prague Zoo: Your Guide to Visiting This World-Class Zoological Park

The idea for a zoological garden in Prague was first proposed in 1881. The zoo was officially opened to the public on September 28, 1931, with the goal of advancing zoological study, protecting wildlife, and educating the public.

Jiří Janda was appointed as the founding director of the Prague Zoological Garden and oversaw its opening to the public in 1931.

In 1938, the Prague Zoo achieved the world's first artificial breeding and rearing of an Andean condor. This was followed in 1942 by the first artificial breeding of a polar bear, a female named Ilun.

In 1959, Dr. Zdeněk Veselovský became the director of Prague Zoo. Under his leadership, the zoo achieved significant successes in breeding and scientific research.

A new pavilion designed to house large mammals, including elephants, hippos, and rhinos, was opened at the zoo in 1971.

Following the pavilion for large mammals, a dedicated pavilion for big cats was constructed and opened in 1991.

In 2001, Prague Zoo successfully achieved the world's first artificial breeding of a Przewalski's Horse.

In 2002, severe floods hit Prague, inundating a large part of the zoo and resulting in the deaths of 134 animals, including an elephant, a lion, a gorilla, and four hippopotamuses.

The 'Indonesian Jungle' pavilion, which was the largest and most expensive animal pavilion in the country at the time of its opening, was completed in 2004.

In 2004, the first Western lowland gorilla born in the Czech Republic, named Moja, was born at Prague Zoo.

Prague Zoo successfully achieved its first breeding of a Komodo dragon in 2007.

In 2009, a new exhibition area for brown fur seals was opened, featuring an enlarged swimming pool and a grandstand for visitors.

In 2010, Prague Zoo achieved the first breeding of a Texas tortoise in Europe.

In 2011, Moja, a Western gorilla who had been part of a multimedia project, was transferred from Prague Zoo to Cabarceno Natural Park in Spain.

As part of a conservation project, four Przewalski's horses were transported from Prague Zoo to Mongolia in 2011 for release into the wild.

The year 2012 was a record year for Prague Zoo, with 1,557 births from 211 species, including the world's first breeding of the crowned river turtle and rufous-cheeked laughingthrush.

A large new pavilion, known as Elephant Valley, was opened in 2013, and the zoo welcomed its first elephant born there, named Sita.

In June 2013, Prague Zoo experienced flooding for a second time, though most animals were successfully evacuated beforehand.

A pavilion for critically endangered Chinese giant salamanders was opened in 2014, housing three adult specimens and representing the largest collection of such salamanders in Europe.

In 2017, after a 13-year wait, Prague Zoo became one of only three zoos globally to house a breeding pair of Lesser Antillean iguanas.

In 2023, Prague Zoo celebrated the first birth of a Chinese pangolin in captivity in Europe, a significant event for the conservation of this endangered species.

In 2023, Prague Zoo received a breeding group of Brazilian mergansers from Brazil, becoming the first institution outside of Brazil to house these critically endangered birds.

By March 2025, Prague Zoo became the first zoo in Europe and the second globally to successfully hatch Brazilian mergansers, boosting hopes for the species' survival.

In 2025, Prague Zoo joined the conservation program for the critically endangered Lord Howe Island stick insect, becoming the third institution worldwide to display them.

Prague Zoo has received international recognition, being rated as the seventh best zoo in the world by Forbes Travel Guide in 2007 and the fifth best by TripAdvisor.

The zoo has played a major role in saving Przewalski's horse, consistently being a leading breeder of the subspecies and facilitating their reintroduction into the Mongolian steppes.