The President of Mongolia also praised the current activities of Zoo Prague in the return of Przewalski's horses to western Mongolia and supported the reintroduction project that will return these last wild horses to the east of the country, to the Valley of Monasteries. In case the filly, which was baptized today, would head there in the future, it would be renamed "Eastern Fairy," added President Chürelsüch. The head of state also personally recorded the birth of Dagina in the breeding book, which is a foal with the number 7,000.
The director of Zoo Prague, Miroslav Bobek, thanked President Chürelsüch for naming the foal and simultaneously announced the signing of a memorandum between Zoo Prague and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of Mongolia regarding the conservation of wild camels. Zoo Prague is now becoming the main partner in the conservation of this critically endangered ungulate. Both parties will now begin preparing for the establishment of a conservation population of this species in European zoos.
Wild camels occur in three isolated areas of northwestern China, where their future is uncertain, and in Mongolia's Strictly Protected Area of the Great Gobi A, which is essential for their survival. Zoo Prague, along with the Wild Camel Protection Foundation, has long provided expert assistance for their breeding at the recently sole breeding station Dzachyn us and participates in monitoring and research. The latest and simultaneously largest endeavor was the financing of the construction of a second breeding center in the Toli bulag area last September and the transport of seven camels to the local care.
Photo 1: Director of Zoo Prague Miroslav Bobek presents the Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh with a certificate for naming the Przewalski's horse foal, which has the number 7,000 in the breeding book. On the left stands the Mongolian Minister of Foreign Affairs Battsetseg Batmunkh. Photo Oliver Le Que, Zoo Prague
Photo 2: Director of Zoo Prague Miroslav Bobek and the President of the Republic of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh at the Mongolian Gobi exhibit in Zoo Prague. Photo Oliver Le Que, Zoo Prague
Photo 3: The Przewalski's horse foal has been named Dagina, meaning "Heavenly Fairy" in Mongolian. The mother of the filly is the seven-year-old Victoria II, and the father is the nine-year-old stallion Granola. Photo Petr Hamerník, Zoo Prague
Photo 4: Signing of the memorandum between Zoo Prague and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of Mongolia, which, among other things, names Zoo Prague as the main partner for the conservation of wild camels. In the photo from Prague Castle, the director of Zoo Prague Miroslav Bobek is in the middle, and His Excellency the Ambassador of the Republic of Mongolia to the Czech Republic Damdin Gansukh is beside him. On the sides stand the President of the Republic of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh and the President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel. Source: Office of the President of the Republic, Photo Tomáš Fongus