ZOO Zlín Lešná

Animals, specifically pheasants and partridges, began to be bred on the Lešná hill during the construction of the original chateau in 1804. A few years later, the area was called a game park. In 1890, the breeding of Belgian horses was introduced here and stables and stud farms were built. The then owner of the estate, Josef Seilern, was a passionate naturalist, collecting an extensive collection of tens of thousands of birds, birds' eggs and hummingbirds at his castle. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the first school expeditions came to his natural history museum. In the years 1929-1930, he introduced the breeding of not only professional, but also exotic animals, in the area, for example, deer, antelope or emu runners moved in the area.

Nine years later, Josef Seilern died and, in addition, II. World War II, so his bold plans were unlucky for a while. After 1945, however, the chateau and the entire complex were nationalized, and as early as 1948, the zoo was opened to the general public for the first time. Over the years, the zoo has become a very interesting unit thanks to modernization and development, which can rightly boast of its exhibits, pavilions and aviaries.

The zoo now has 222 species of animals from Europe, Africa, Australia and America. The garden is divided according to individual continents and you will take a trip around the world in one day. And it's not just the animals themselves, the areas are also complemented by ethnographic objects and, for example, examples of typical buildings. The area of ​​the exposition part of the garden of 48 ha proves that it will be a proper walk here.

Very attractive for visitors are through paddocks and aviaries, where you have animals practically within reach and you can see them in peace. The pride is also the tropical hall, where you suddenly find yourself in the middle of a Central American rainforest, full of lush vegetation and 20 species of free-moving animals. The atmosphere is complemented by artistic elements reminiscent of Mayan culture and artificial fog. You can also see everything from the footbridge. At the same time, birds will fly around your head and small curious monkeys will come to you almost, which will not only excite children. The pavilion of monkeys and primates is also very popular.

Elephants, giraffes, tigers, rhinos, bears, penguins, lemurs, horses, llamas, parrots and much and much more await you in this beautiful zoo visit. So when you are thinking about where to go for a weekend with your family, ZOO Zlín-Lešná is a great tip.

Auotr: Martina Limbergová