Our new conservation research project in Africa

Protecting wildlife in its natural habitat has long been one of Zoo Zlín's core missions. As part of this commitment, the zoo is funding a new research project led by BirdLife South Africa focusing on the conservation of the secretarybirds. The project will be financed through the Zlín Zoo's 4Nature conservation fund, which enables visitors, together with the zoo, to support the protection of endangered species directly within their natural range.

The research will examine the impact of modern farming practices on secretarybird populations. The pilot study will take place in South Africa's Free State Province, where extensive agricultural landscapes overlap with key secretarybird breeding areas.

"The project will be carried out on farms where secretarybirds are known to nest," said Roman Horský, director of the Zlín Zoo. "Landowners will provide information about the crops they cultivate, the agrochemicals they use and their farming practices. Researchers will then carefully collect blood samples and cloacal swabs from secretarybird chicks during routine monitoring and ringing activities. These samples will be analysed in the laboratory to determine whether agrochemical residues are present in the chicks' bodies and, if so, to identify the substances involved."

The findings will help scientists better understand how changes in African agricultural landscapes affect this iconic species and will contribute to the development of effective conservation measures for secretarybirds and other wildlife inhabiting these ecosystems.

"The Zlín Zoo has consistently demonstrated that a modern zoological garden is much more than a place where people can observe animals — it is also an important partner in wildlife conservation," said Jiří Korec, mayor of the City of Zlín. "I am delighted that, through the 4Nature conservation fund, our visitors can contribute alongside the zoo to projects that deliver real conservation outcomes. Supporting secretarybird research in South Africa is another example of how assistance from Zlín reaches far beyond the borders of the Czech Republic."

Secretarybirds first became part of the zoo's collection in 2002. Since then, the zoo has successfully reared 14 chicks. This year, keepers are once again caring for a newly hatched chick.

"When hand-feeding the chick, we use a puppet resembling the head of an adult secretarybird to prevent it from imprinting on humans," explained zoologist Václav Štraub. "Once the chick is strong enough, it will be introduced to the breeding pair."

Visitors can currently observe two young secretarybirds in the walk-through Gora Ark Vulture Aviary, while the breeding pairs are housed in the zoo's off-show breeding facilities.

The secretarybird is one of the most distinctive birds of the African savannah and serves as the national bird of South Africa. Unlike most birds of prey, it spends the majority of its life on the ground, hunting with its exceptionally long legs. Its diet consists primarily of snakes, lizards, small mammals and insects.

Secretarybirds can grow to a height of up to 1.5 metres and weigh as much as 4.5 kilograms. They build large nests in isolated trees, where females usually lay one to three eggs.

Although the species is an iconic symbol of African wildlife, its population has declined dramatically in recent decades. It is now considered threatened across much of its range. The principal causes include the conversion of natural grasslands into agricultural land, the intensification of farming practices and the continuing loss of suitable habitat.