“In Brazil, the protection of the Paraná guinea pig is primarily pursued by the non-profit organizations Natureza do Futuro and Zooparque Itatiba, which have significantly supported our Zoo Prague since 2020. In total, we have provided nearly one and a quarter million crowns for the breeding of Paraná guinea pigs in human care and for their research in the field. Thanks to this support and especially due to the excellent reputation of our breeders, in the autumn of 2023, we received from Itatiba, as the very first and so far the only breeding facility outside Brazil, a group of these guinea pigs. And now we are raising the first five young ones,” says the director of Zoo Prague, Miroslav Bobek.
After the New Zealand guinea pig was extinct at the beginning of the 20th century, the Paraná guinea pig is the only species of guinea pig living in the Southern Hemisphere. It is threatened by habitat loss, primarily due to river pollution, dam construction, and deforestation, which leads to erosion and soil degradation, further impacting the state of rivers. Because individuals are strongly tied to their territories, habitat loss effectively means extinction in that location.
The support for the protection of Paraná guinea pigs in their last remaining homeland is long-term from Zoo Prague – in 2019, a significant act was the acquisition of a generator connected to the incubators and breeding facilities. Frequent power outages could cause enormous losses, especially with such a small number of individuals in human care. Zoo Prague is also involved in monitoring wild birds by providing transmitters and ensuring a boat for the movement of workers within the national action plan for the protection of Paraná guinea pigs PAN – Pato Mergulhao in challenging terrain.
Thanks to the mentioned support from the fundraising account Help Them Survive, the Prague zoo received five pairs of Paraná guinea pigs in October 2023. In March, one pair was introduced to visitors in the Bird Marshes exhibit in the lower part of the area.
“Breeding activity began to gradually manifest in individual pairs from September last year, when they started visiting the nesting boxes. With the arrival of cooler weather, we offered boxes in the indoor enclosures as well. The guinea pigs also visited them, culminating in the laying of the first egg on December 17 last year. A historic moment occurred on January 29 this year when the first young Paraná guinea pig hatched outside its homeland. The ducklings quickly learned to catch small live fish in the pool from their parents and began to thrive very well,” noted the bird curator of Zoo Prague, Antonín Vaidl.
Although the young ones are thriving, they cannot yet be considered fully raised. If everything continues to go well, Zoo Prague will ceremoniously name the ducklings on Good Friday, April 18.
People can support not only Paraná guinea pigs but also other endangered species by transferring any amount to the Zoo Prague fundraising account Help Them Survive (account no.: 43–680 466 0247/0100) or by purchasing souvenirs in the Zoo Prague e-shop in the section titled Help Them Survive: https://eshop.zoopraha.cz/suvenyry/pomahame-jim-prezit.html. And last but not least, of course, by visiting Zoo Prague.
Photo 1: The first young Paraná guinea pigs that came into the world outside their homeland. The chicks are currently staying in the warm premises of the zoo. Visitors to Zoo Prague will likely see them in the Bird Marshes exhibit around mid-April. Photo by Miroslav Bobek, Zoo Prague
Photo 2: The young Paraná guinea pigs are currently colored in black and white, but in adulthood, their feathers will dominate darker tones, while their heads will turn into green metallic shades and a crest will develop on them. Photo by Miroslav Bobek, Zoo Prague
Photo 3: The structure of the beak of the guinea pigs also indicates their fish diet, which these waterfowl impress at first glance. It is narrow, relatively long, armed with small teeth at the edges, and has a long, curved nail at the tip. Overall, it does not resemble a typical flat duck bill, but rather evokes the beak of similarly predatory cormorants. Photo by Miroslav Bobek, Zoo Prague
