Plzeň Zoo will begin designing a pavilion for elephants next year

Plzeň - Plzeň Zoo will start designing a pavilion for Indian elephants next year. The exhibition Elephants on Mže, which has been in preparation for eight years, will be built on 14 hectares of meadows towards Radčice, opposite the current area just behind the parking lot. It will be prepared in three variants of financial complexity ranging from 200 to 450 million crowns and relies on EU subsidies. Jiří Trávníček, the director of the city zoo, told ČTK today.

"I would like to finally start the design process, as I am retiring in 3.5 years. We are actively seeking five to six million for the project. We have already acquired the land, the change of the land use plan, and the documentation for the zoning decision," he said. The most challenging part was acquiring the land, which was completed this year, he added.

According to Deputy Mayor Petr Náhlík (KDU-ČSL), funds can be allocated for the project, but the crucial question is whether a source will be found for the actual financing. "Because unfortunately the currently available European subsidies are not aimed in this direction, we have to wait until the end of the planning period when the government will not know what to do with the money. At that point, the zoo needs to have its building permit issued, but the city also needs to have its other constructions," he stated.

Designing will take about a year. "There are details that the designers do not yet know. We must go slowly and carefully to avoid making any mistakes," the director said. The zoo could have the building permit in 1.5 years and then it will look for subsidies. Construction can be completed within three years. The budget for the basic variant would be 200 million, and for the most luxurious variant, it would be 450 million crowns. "For now, we're testing the Mercedes, but if 200 million appears, then we’ll scale down the project and build a Lidl-type building, and everything else will be smaller expenses. We'll prepare two or three options based on discussions with the designers and how the calls for proposals are issued," the director added. According to Náhlík, it will likely be a phased construction. On 12 hectares, dedicated exhibits will be created. "Elephants would have 3.5 hectares, which would be wonderful, it would be enormous," he noted. There will also be orangutans, tapirs, birds, and many other animals from the oriental region.

"It's not a problem to find elephants for free, as they are breeding across Europe - from Prague to Berlin and Ostrava, there are baby elephants everywhere. But there are few elephant facilities," Trávníček stated. Building the area is not simple. The terrain needs to be modified, engineering networks need to be brought in, drainage must be done, and a fence must be installed. In the Czech Republic, there are elephant facilities in Prague with a herd of ten, in Ústí nad Labem, Ostrava, Zlín, and Liberec.

Plzeň Zoo will also repair a 20-meter-high aviary for vultures next year for two million crowns. It was once built during the Action Z (a volunteer brigade) by Škodováci and has survived all the snows and calamities.