Bees in the Ostrava Zoo

This year, Zoo Ostrava started breeding a new animal species – honey bees (Apis mellifera). The main reason for the breeding of bees is the alarming loss of this indispensable and admirable insect, not only in the Czech Republic, but around the world. Bees, as well as bumblebees, are indispensable to humanity for their pollination activity.    

The Zoo aims to keep healthy colonies in harmony with nature to promote biodiversity in the landscape. It also aims to familiarise the general public with the life of this hymenopterous insect to in order to eliminate certain prejudice. The project “Bees in Zoo Ostrava” has great potential. Over time, the project will also involve the creation of teaching programs for pupils and students, teacher seminars, or public lectures concerning the subject. Visitors can now learn about bees on educational boards and through new features on the revitalized Bee Trail. This year, the Zoo organised a very successful Bee Day, where visitors had the opportunity to get acquainted with interesting facts from the life of bees.

In addition to the bee project, Zoo Ostrava has decided to also support bumble bees. The cause of their decline is the lack of food resources, as well as nesting possibilities. Therefore, five special bumblebee hives were installed in the Zoo to provide bumblebee mothers with the ideal nesting conditions.