Prague’s animal rescue station will be completely modernized

Prague City Hall is preparing to completely rebuild its wild animal rescue station in Jinonice so it meets modern standards. In October the city and its subsidiary organization Lesy hl. m. Prahy will apply for a joint zoning permit and building permit. The actual work should then begin next year and should be completed in approximately two years. The total amount of the investment is 173 million CZK without VAT.

The new environmentally friendly complex is designed to treat up to about 800 animals, and its capabilities will fully comply with the applicable laws and the city’s requirements for the care of wild animals, according to a City Hall press release.

The rescue station will be able to receive any injured wild animal except the brown bear. The complex is also designed in accordance with Prague’s environmental strategy, and will use rainwater to the maximum extent possible and individual buildings will be equipped with green roofs.

“Wild animals are an integral part of Prague’s nature. Sometimes, however, they cruelly pay for clashing with the urban environment. The technical condition of the existing rescue station is disastrous and provides neither comfort nor sufficient facilities for the work of our nurses. That is why Prague has decided to build a new facility that will meet modern standards,” Deputy Mayor Petr Hlubuček (United force for Prague) said.

Ondřej Palička of city forestry firm Lesy hl. m. Prahy said the new facility is needed if the city will be effective in managing wildlife.

“The Prague rescue station for wildlife has been operating since 2012, but all the time the nurses and employees work in makeshift conditions. So far, residential spaces have served as a veterinary infirmary and facilities for the care of injured animals,” he said.

“However, the number of animals received increases every year and the space and care requirements increase. The new facility with full-scale medical and rehabilitation complexes will allow animal patients to recover better and faster, and provide nurses with adequate facilities for their work,” he said.

The new project envisages the construction of a veterinary office with an operating room and an intensive care unit, which will increase the chances of surviving seriously injured animals. The proposed area also includes specialized rehabilitation facilities that meet the requirements for the care of the most commonly accepted species of animals.

The dominant feature will be a treatment facility for swans and other water birds, and for rearing squirrels. The individual aviary complexes are planned to be multifunctional so that they can be adapted to the specific needs of the animals received if necessary.

There will also be rehabilitation paddocks for hoofed mammals and a water paddock for otters and beavers, which are beginning to appear in Prague’s nature areas.

“I am delighted that Prague citizens are increasingly aware of the activities of the rescue station in Jinonice, because their cooperation is absolutely necessary for the rescue of our wild animals,” Hlubuček said.

The city’s rescue station treats more than 5,000 injured or otherwise handicapped animals a year and is the busiest of all similar facilities in the Czech Republic. The new premises will significantly improve the conditions for treated animals, facilitate their recovery and return to the wild.