Elephants, Tasmanian devils are Prague Zoo's most popular animals by donations

Prague Zoo lost a lot of revenue in 2020 due to long-term closures under the Czech Republic's anti-COVID-19 regulations, but a record number of donations last year helped to make up for at least some of it.

In 2020, a total of 5,021 people supported Prague Zoo's animals through donation or adoption, raising more than 11 million crowns. Additionally, more than 40,000 meal vouchers were purchased in a new program that was launched in November.

“Thank you very much for every donation, even the smallest!" Prague Zoo director Miroslav Bobek stated in a press release.

"Monetary donations in the total value of CZK 11,376,721 for the adoption and sponsorship of animals [in 2020] are extremely important to us, especially in these difficult times.”

Prague Zoo now offers a few different ways to support animals.

You can sponsor a particular animal via a one-time donation of any amount 100 crowns or more, or "adopt" an animal through a set yearly rate based on the type of animal. You can find a full list of animals to sponsor or adopt at the official Prague Zoo website.

In addition, the Zoo launched a meal voucher program in November 2020 through which donors can buy daily meals for a particular animal. Meal vouchers run from 50 to 600 crowns based on the type of animal, and you can find a full list here.

This week, the Zoo released some statistics on its most popular animals based on the number of donations. 

The Zoo's Indian elephants were the most popular species based on the number of adoptions and sponsorships, while the Tasmanian devils were the most popular in the meal voucher program.

"The involvement of our zoo's supporters in adoptions and sponsorships in a way reflects the popularity of various species of animals," Zoo director Miroslav Bobek stated in a press release. 

"The birth of two elephant princesses - Lakuny and Amalee - certainly confirmed the elephant championship in 2020.“ 

These were the species that received the most donations through Prague Zoo's adoption and sponsorship programs last year:

And these were the species that received the most meal vouchers through the new program at the end of 2020: