Chleby Zoo, Zoo in Chleby, Czech Republic
Chleby Zoo is a zoo in the Czech village of Chleby, set on the grounds of an old rectory, where over 150 species are kept. The grounds include outdoor enclosures and indoor pavilions housing animals such as langurs, cheetahs, gibbons, meerkats, and exotic birds.
The zoo started in 1997 as a private collection of rare birds kept behind an old rectory building in the village. Over the following years it grew into one of the first privately run zoos to operate in the Czech Republic after the end of communist rule.
The zoo is set on the grounds of an old rectory, and this setting gives the whole place a rural, unhurried feel that is quite different from large city zoos. Visitors can walk between outdoor enclosures and indoor pavilions where animals like langurs, cheetahs, and meerkats are kept in spaces shaped to resemble their natural homes.
The zoo is open during the day and is best visited on weekdays when it tends to be less crowded. The grounds are walkable and compact enough to cover comfortably on foot in a few hours.
The gibbon enclosure is named after a historical temple, giving these primates an unusual setting that stands out from the rest of the zoo. Separately, there is a large freshwater aquarium on the grounds that displays fish and other aquatic animals from local waters.
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