America

A flood of lush vegetation, diverse water bodies, expansive grassy exhibits, deafening squawks of parrots, the high-pitched chatter of small monkeys, and the tones of zampoñas (pan flutes) — this is how the Central and South American region presents itself to visitors at Zlín Zoo. Within the span of one hour, we’ll take you through tropical forests, swampy Amazonia, grassy pampas, and even to the seaside coast.

Year of opening: 2022

The new exhibit is centered around two spacious indoor enclosures, a winter enclosure, and a large outdoor summer enclosure covered with a steel mesh. The entire jaguar complex covers an area of more than 2,000 square meters, making it the largest jaguar breeding facility in Europe. The summer enclosure also includes a pond where the jaguars can swim and even dive. Come join us for a guided feeding — exceptional experiences are guaranteed!

The main stars of the Jaguar Trek are, of course, our jaguars. The female Yuna arrived from Rostock Zoo in Germany in May 2022, and the black male Akabo came from Parrot World Zoo in France in November 2023. However, jaguars are not the only species to look forward to. The winter enclosure has temporarily become home to great toucans and white-throated magpies, species not kept by any other institution outside the Americas. The neighboring aviary is inhabited by several American bird species, including military macaws and, for the first time in the zoo’s history, Andean condors — the national symbol of four South American countries: Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, and Colombia.

Along with the exhibit complex, a new path was created for the train and pedestrians. It winds serpentine-style down the slope, eliminating the steep uphill climb. The style of Jaguar Trek follows the design concept of the Guianas exhibits in the lower Amazon region.

Year of opening: 2006

The kingdom of the Central American rainforest is home to more than 20 animal species and 170 plant species. Most animals roam freely, and in the diverse vegetation you can see white-lipped tamarins, two-toed sloths, and among the birds, green, yellow-backed, ruddy-backed, and red-headed manakins, three-colored cotingas, and agami herons. The terrarium houses crocodile plants (Dracaena). Large aquarium tanks are inhabited by turtles and various species of freshwater fish. In the terrariums on the northern side of the hall, several species of glass frogs live.

In autumn 2012, the hall became home to the rare giant otters, which we keep as the first and only zoo in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Since 2019, we have been caring for a pair of otters — the male Dagget and the female Mora — whose first offspring were born at the end of October 2020. You can admire the entire otter family in the outdoor pool or inside the tropical hall.

The plants create a true jungle atmosphere. The vast majority come directly from Central America. They are complemented by artificial trees, which support the glass shell of the hall. Some of these trees house ventilation systems. Thanks to a suspended walkway, visitors can view the entire hall from almost a bird’s-eye perspective.

PLEASE NOTE:
Entry into walk-through and interactive exhibits at Zlín Zoo is at your own risk.

Year of opening: 2018

This name was newly assigned to several exhibits in the South American area, which underwent a major "facelift" in 2017. This applies to the walk-through parrot aviary, which we expanded by about one-third. It is now the largest bird aviary in Czech zoos. From up close, you can see macaws such as the red-and-green macaw, red-shouldered macaw, hyacinth macaw, military macaw, chestnut-fronted macaw, and collar crested jay. We also significantly expanded the space for squirrel cuckoos, which now have two separate enclosures.

In the lower section, near the pond, you will find the summer enclosure for capybaras and the exhibit of giant anteaters. Nearby is the enclosure for woolly monkeys, which you can see in only two zoos in Europe. In addition to their indoor enclosure, they also have an island in the middle of the pond with lush vegetation — an ideal place to practice their climbing skills.

Year of opening: 2002, renovated in 2020

Typical representatives of South American fauna can be found just below the tropical hall. In the spacious enclosure, you can see South American tapirs and capybaras. From April to October, the aviary near the enclosure is home to the rarely kept red-legged seriema, Inca terns, and other South American birds. Adding life to the entire area are exhibits for pied tamarins and an aviary housing roseate spoonbills, scarlet ibises, gray-winged ibises, and southern screamer. Giant anteaters can be observed in a large grassy enclosure.

Year of opening: 2000

The exhibit is designed to resemble an old harbor by the seaside with a fishery. You can observe the animals both on land and in the water. They spend most of their day in the pool and can swim continuously for several hours. It’s no surprise, then, that the pool constantly circulates 160 cubic meters of water and has a maximum depth of 2.3 meters. Currently, the breeding group consists of a male named Oskar (born in 2007) and a female named Betty (born in 1999). Throughout the year, during regular feedings twice a day, they showcase their unique abilities and skills.