Czechia´s first aardwoves explore their outdoor enclosure. The safari park is about to witness one of the most significant breeding successes in history


9.5.2024
Three aardwolf cubs born on Palm Sunday are already going out into the outdoor exhibit of Joy Adamson's Carnivore House. Visitors have the chance to see them very early in the morning or later in the afternoon. These are the first cubs of this extremely rare and challenging species in human care in Czech and Slovak zoos and the first in Europe after decades.

"The cubs with their mother are most active very early in the morning and shortly after the opening hours, they usually return to their dens, where they sleep soundly. Another chance to observe them is around between 2PM and 4PM," says zoologist Gabriela Linhart. Morning adventures of aardwolves are particularly attractive for guests staying at the Safari Park Resort and annual pass holders who can enter the area even outside the opening hours of the entrance gates.

Others who arrive at the safari park right at 9 in the morning can also try their luck. The afternoon activity of the aardwolf cubs is still fluctuating. "They are crepuscular and nocturnal animals, so it can be assumed that the better chance to observe them will be later. However, everything is still at the beginning, so this is just our estimate," adds Gabriela Linhart.

The small aardwolves, reminiscent of the popular Yoda from the Star Wars saga and ranking among the cutest animal babies, are also starting to be interested in other food than milk. "We have observed them exploring various types of insects. They poke at them with their muzzle, sniff them, and tentatively take them into their mouths," describes Gabriela Linhart.

The aardwolf triplets were born on Palm Sunday. This is one of the most significant breeding successes in the history of the safari park, which is unique in a global context. It is the first time in the history of Czech and zood that this exceptionally demanding species has reproduced. In the world's zoos (excluding breeding centers in South Africa), aardwolves have reproduced after about three decades. The safari park obtained the hyenas from a breeding and rescue center in South Africa after lengthy negotiations. The project, run in cooperation with Zoo Zlín-Lešná, aims to restore ex-situ population of hyenas in European zoos.

 

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