In the last month, the Zamość Zoo has been enriched with many new inhabitants. These include Bali mynas, Malay argus pheasants, great egrets, Arabian bulbuls, emerald lizards, river pigs, emperor tamarins, bone-headed paddlefish, Madagascar teal ducks, and forest monitor lizards. The animals were brought to Zamość as part of a breeding exchange with Polish and European zoos.
On October 21, 2023, birds belonging to species that were previously not present in the Zamość Zoo were brought from Zoo Amsterdam in the Netherlands. These include Bali mynas and Malay argus pheasants. Bali mynas are among the rarest birds in the world. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimates the wild population to be around 50 individuals. This species is endemic to the Indonesian island of Bali (meaning it only occurs in this one place in the world). It is also critically endangered due to habitat loss and illegal collection for collectors. Their extraordinary beauty and the belief of Southeast Asian residents that they bring luck, as well as their singing that repels evil spirits, have caused their decline. Our zoo received one female and two males, which allows active participation in the global breeding program for this species, giving hope for its survival. The female Malay argus, a bird from the pheasant family, also transferred from the Amsterdam zoo, is another representative of a species threatened with extinction. In this case, deforestation of the Malay Archipelago islands and poaching are the main causes of the population decline in the wild. Both species have already completed mandatory quarantine. The female argus can be seen in the outdoor aviary, while the Bali mynas will remain in the indoor enclosures because they are sensitive to low temperatures. The October 21, 2023, transport also included picking up animals transferred to our zoo from the Wuppertal Zoo in Germany. The great egrets and Arabian bulbuls are new species that have inhabited the free-flight hall of the bird pavilion. To see the Arabian bulbul, visitors must demonstrate great observation skills, as this small bird blends perfectly with the lush vegetation of the bird pavilion. On the other hand, the great egret immediately attracts attention due to its beautiful yellow-black coloring and loud, melodic sounds it makes. The emerald lizards have found their home in the terrariums, being an endemic species to Western Africa. The individuals that arrived at our zoo are still very young and small. They will now grow in the cozy “lizard room” and then be transferred to the exhibition terrariums. From the Wuppertal Zoo, the Zamość garden also received a female river pig, who joined the two male pigs already living in the zoo. The Zamość Zoo also acquires many new animals through exchanges with Polish zoos. From the Opole Zoo, an emperor tamarin, a monkey from the marmoset family, arrived in Zamość, joining Newton, a male who has also recently moved to our zoo. Opole also sent bone-headed paddlefish, tailless amphibians endemic to the island of Borneo, and Madagascar teal ducks – medium-sized ducks from Madagascar. In return, Zamość Zoo sent three purple ibises and a tokay gecko to Opole. The latest addition is a forest monitor lizard from the Kraków Zoo. This reptile is the second largest lizard in the world after the Komodo dragon and truly leaves a huge impression with its size and incredible, dragon-like appearance. Both the new animals and the permanent residents of the Zamość Zoo can be visited daily from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.