Zoo News

November 8 is World Radiology Day. On this date in 1895, during his experiments at the University of Würzburg, Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen first observed the mysterious X-rays, which were later named after him. The possibility of medical use was recognised very quickly: within the first few weeks of his experiments, Röntgen already produced an X-ray image of his wife Anna Bertha’s right hand.

On the occasion of the Hungarian Science Festival, we briefly present the role of science in zoos, the role of zoos in science, and also give a short overview of the scientific work carried out at our Zoo.

The last Friday of October is a special date in the calendar of animal lovers, as this is World Lemur Day. This year, it falls on 31 October, the same day whose evening is traditionally associated with Halloween.

The vulture aviary, located on the northwest side of the zoo’s Small Rock area, is home to several bird species, but the griffon vultures are the largest among them. Visitors are allowed to enter the aviary, which gives them a close-to-nature experience and, at the same time, helps people get familiar with and appreciate the vultures themselves.

Today we laid wreaths at the grave of our founding director, János Xántus, who was born 200 years ago, at the Fiumei Road Cemetery, and also placed a wreath at the statue of the renowned traveler, ethnographer, natural scientist, and zoo professional located in our Zoo.

We can all take small steps to protect nature, which together can bring about huge change. Here are seven simple ideas, one for each day of the week, that you can use to contribute to the health of our planet.

This is, of course, not surprising, as young animals develop their physical and mental abilities through play and prepare for adult life in this way. At the same time, they clearly enjoy themselves, and the sight is entertaining for visitors as well.

The newest residents of the Palm House are the golden-handed tamarins. Our zoo has worked with this species before, but in recent years we did not have them. The recently arrived animals now share their enclosure with nocturnal monkeys, which makes sense since both species are native to South America.

A few days ago, Nadine Heisler, the great-grandchild of our former director Károly Serák who lives in Brazil, visited our Zoo. She naturally paid a visit to her great-grandfather’s statue and also met with the current director of our institution, Dr. Endre Sós.

Exotic animals, such as lemurs, are not suitable as pets because they are highly social creatures and, when hand-raised by humans, they often miss out on proper socialization with their own kind. The safest way to enjoy these animals is by observing them in zoos or wildlife conservation centers.

Our zoo is home to one of Europe’s largest and most successful breeding groups of greater flamingos. These elegant wading birds usually bring us nearly two dozen chicks each year – and this season even more hatched from their eggs.

The oceanic whitetip shark was once the most common predator of the open seas, but overfishing has now pushed this species to the brink of extinction. By signing the Shark Trust’s petition, you can help secure a future for these sharks.