A new tropical hall named Yucatan has opened in the Zlín zoo

Zlín - The new tropical hall named Yucatan opened today to the first visitors at the Zlín Zoo. It showcases the fauna and flora of the Central American rainforest. The construction of the hall, which lasted less than a year, cost 80 million crowns, said the zoo director Ivo Klika.
    According to Klika, the hall is unique primarily for its rich representation of different species of plants. "We focused on tropical plants; we have about 230 species here, which is unique in Europe. Students of biology will certainly be able to benefit from this," noted the director.
    The animals inhabit the hall not only in enclosed exhibits but are also freely roaming. People can observe sloths, crocodiles, fish, and turtles up close. The exhibit also presents the culture and life of the vanished Mayan civilization. Visitors should feel as if they have found themselves in the ruins of a Mayan city, gradually engulfed by the rainforest of the Yucatan Peninsula. "We aimed for them to be transported back in history and to get acquainted with the way of life of the Mayans. There are also wall stone reliefs, paintings, and a replica of a Mayan temple," Klika stated.
    The hall, whose operation and climate are controlled by a computer, replaced the old pavilion of exotic animals. It spans an area of 900 square meters. The height of the glass structure with a metal frame reaches up to 13 meters. Inside, visitors primarily move around the lower level and can use a stylish staircase to reach a suspended walkway, allowing them to see the entire space of the hall from a bird's eye view.
    Lešná Zoo celebrated its 200th anniversary this year. It has 42 hectares of exhibition areas and houses around 200 species of animals. The area is divided into four zoogeographic regions - Africa, South America, Australia, and Asia. Last year, the zoo was visited by over 378,000 visitors.