Christenings were held in the zoo in Troja. And that’s twofold – the young peccaries of Wagner’s got their name here.
“Even from the pictures you can see, you’ll think it’s some kind of wild boar, but in fact it’s a Wagner’s peccary, a South American species that is very endangered and therefore interesting because it was first described from fossils, it was thought to be extinct and it was only later that we managed to catch live animals in the wild. It was at the last minute, as I said, the situation of this species in the wild is not good, and after all, that is the reason for our breeding. That is the reserve population of Wagner’s peccaries, with that that we also contribute to its protection in nature,” said Miroslav Bobek, director of the Prague Zoo.
“Wagner’s peccaries are doing quite well here, their breeding began in 2016 and in 2018 we had our first cub, and I must emphasize that it was the first breeding in the Czech Republic, it was the first Wagner’s peccary born here. Otherwise, they are very endangered , because there are only about 3,000 of them in the wild, currently only 11 institutions breed them in Europe, and we have the second largest group, and there are around 60 of them in Europe,” said Jan Marek, chief ungulate breeder of the Prague Zoo.
In addition to zoo director Miroslav Bobek, the president’s adviser on the environment, Ladislav Miko, also took part in the christening ceremony.
“I am very happy, I always enjoy coming here to the zoo in Troja, there is always something to see here, and when there is such a great opportunity as christening new additions and with such a rare animal, so inconspicuous and unknown to the public, the baptism of my
Peccaries feed mainly on fruits and vegetables, and in the wild they most often enjoy parts of plants.
You can find the Wagner’s peccary enclosure in the upper part of the zoo, near the wolves.
