Plans for 2026

The year 2025 brought to the zoo a record attendance of 812,712 visitors, internationally significant breeding successes, and also the the opening of two new projects - a rescue and breeding center for lions and the Gibonika exhibit. Now, we are moving forward and begun preparing many new attractions, exhibits and innovations.

"In the Asian district of the zoo, we will open a new bistro, called Bagha, offering authentic Indian cuisine to the visitors. In 2026, we would also like to begin the construction of Nusantara, a complex of exhibits inspired by Indonesia and its wildlife. Nusanatara is going to be financed from multiple resources, just like our first lion rescue center was. The costs are going to be shared with our trustee, the Statutory City of Zlín. We also believe that the Zlín Region is going to support us financially again," claimed Roman Horský, the director of the Zlín Zoo.

The construction of Nusantara will also allow the relocation of Malayan tapirs from their temporary accommodation in the former elephant pavilion, which is going to be renovated to prepare the exhibit for arrival of okapis, a rare species related to giraffes. Reconstruction of the roof of this pavilion is already underway," added Horský.

From a planning and design perspective, the Zlín Zoo will prepare three new exhibits this year. “In the Asian district, these will include exhibits for clouded leopards and a new enclosure for Indian gaurs, while in the Australian district there will be an exhibit for wombats. In the field of sustainability, we are going to follow the construction of a photovoltaic power plant. We will install a roof over the parking area at the seasonal entrance and place approximately 1,200 solar panels on the newly created surface. This photovoltaic system will cover a substantial portion of our electricity consumption, and any surplus electricity will be shared with the Zlín Energy Community, coordinated by the municipal organization Teplo Zlín,” the director explained.

The zoo is also preparing new features to improve visitor services. “At the seasonal entrance, we will install two new automated ticket machines to dispense admission tickets. This will significantly increase the speed of processing visitors who do not use electronic tickets. We have completely redesigned the structure of our experiential programs, and visitors can already purchase new and attractive combinations in the zoo’s e-shop. This year’s major new attraction and a big hit is the experience with lions and jaguars, and we will also bring back to life encounters with lemurs. In August, we will invite visitors to African markets near the recently opened lion center. We would also like to enhance the visitor experience in cooperation with the Zlín Film Festival and HP Tronic Zlín,” said Romana Mikešová, head of marketing of the Zlín Zoo.

“Zoo Zlín has long been the most visited municipal organization. I am pleased that its visitor numbers are not only being maintained but are also steadily increasing. My thanks go to the zoo’s management and all employees, donors, every visitor, local entrepreneurs who provide services in and around the zoo, and the city’s residents for their tolerance. Thanks to all these factors, the zoo’s management can continuously improve and develop the grounds, advancing not only animal care and visitor experience, but also sustainability. I believe that thanks to responsible financial management and the support of the city and donors, we will continue to develop our beautiful zoological garden and bring new experiences to our visitors,” said Jiří Korec, Mayor of Zlín.