Zlín Zoo Launches Secretary Bird Conservation Project in Africa

Zlín Zoo has joined a research project aimed at protecting secretary birds in Africa, with funding coming from the 4Nature charity fund — a programme that allows zoo visitors to help preserve endangered species in their natural habitats.

The project is being carried out by BirdLife International, and its findings are expected to reveal how the African landscape is changing, while proposing measures to protect not only secretary birds but other species affected by these shifts. “Zlín Zoo has long proven that a modern zoo is not simply a place to observe animals, but an important partner in protecting them in the wild. I’m glad that, thanks to the 4Nature fund, our visitors can join the zoo in contributing to concrete projects that genuinely help preserve endangered species,” said Zlín Mayor Jiří Korec (ANO movement).

Zlín Zoo has been breeding secretary birds since 2002 and has so far raised 14 chicks. This year, staff are also caring for a newly hatched chick. “When feeding the chick, we use a puppet resembling the head of an adult secretary bird so that it doesn’t become attached to humans. Once the chick grows stronger, we’ll move it to an adult breeding pair,” explained zoologist Václav Štraub. Two young secretary birds can currently be seen in the walk-through vulture aviary at Mount Ark, while the adult pairs are kept in a closed part of the zoo.

The secretary bird stands out among birds of prey for spending most of its life on the ground. It uses its long legs to hunt, feeding mainly on snakes, lizards, small mammals and insects. An adult bird can grow up to 150 centimetres tall and weigh as much as 4.5 kilograms.

Around Prague, based on reporting by ekolist.cz