The zoo closed the year 2015 with the opening of a multimedia pavilion dedicated to protecting the polar climate and the endangered species of polar animals, threatened by the climate change. This is the first pavilion in our zoo which doesn't include animals, and the first of this kind in Europe. And what are the zoo's plans for the coming year?
- More fish, birds and other animals for the Africarium. The dream is to have another green sea turtle, but this species is difficult to come by.
- A run for snow leopards
This is a priority investment. Any day now, a tender for the project of the run will be announced, to be submitted in January. The run will be located behind the building of the management, where the old run for bears used to be. It is to include, among others, a waterfall and a pool. Snow leopards will live there, which in fact lived once in the Wrocław zoo. The project is to be ready by the fall. Its cost is still not known.
- In 2016, a renovation of the historic aviary will commence. The facility needs thorough renovation, and the interior will be changed as a part of it. Instead of several separate aviaries for birds, one big aviary with flying birds will be created.
- Renovation and reconstruction of the former lion pavilion - the home for large predators. Currently, smaller monkeys live there. Even after repairs, the building does not meet the modern standards required for keeping large carnivores. After the renovation, the pavilion will serve the educational function. Most probably, it will be dedicated to invasive species in Poland, e.g. American mink, raccoon dog, raccoon, but it is not yet settled for one hundred percent.
- Repair and reconstruction of the building, which will become home to the dwarf hippos. It is the green, ground-floor building, where now live the Siamese crocodile, the beautiful squirrels, and once, before moving to the Africarium, the aardvarks. The building will be expanded and completely rebuilt. It will include, among others, external runs with swimming pools. This investment is expected to begin in 2016.
- A run and a pavilion for gorillas. This is the biggest dream of the zoo's president. It would be located where the Scottish cattle now live. For now, it is an investment in the planning stage, as it requires creating a very good project, and considerable resources. - It would have to be a super place, with all the necessary fancy extras. Gorillas are super-intelligent animals and they need the best living conditions, otherwise we won't get them, says Radosław Ratajszczak. Perhaps this purpose might be eligible for EU co-funding. Optimistic estimates are that the project of the gorilla pavilion with a run will be built in 2016.
- Wrocław zoo also helps to save the zoo in Łódź. The Company from Wrocław won the tender for creating a functional programme for it. The plan also includes reconstruction of more than half of the zoo and creating the so-called Orientarium. The entire complex is to comprise an area almost 7.5 hectares.
Employees from Wrocław intend to expand runs for bears, pavilions for panthers, or to design from scratch several pools, including one for 1500 specimens. Complete documentation of the programme is to be submitted next spring. For this work Wrocław zoo will earn 350 000 zloty. Another tender will decide who will implement the project created by the Wrocław zoo employees.
