Dvůr Králové Zoo

Safari Park Dvůr Králové holds one of the largest collections of African animals in Europe, and it is the place most closely tied to the fate of the northern white rhinoceros. Najin and Fatu, the last two of the subspecies, were both born here. In 2009 the zoo sent four of its rhinos to a reserve in Kenya in a last effort to save them.

The collection grew from expeditions to Africa in the 1960s and 1970s led by director Josef Vágner. Herds of antelope, giraffes, zebras and other savanna species still define the park. Alongside the walking zoo, a drive-through safari section lets visitors see animals roaming large enclosures from a vehicle, which sets it apart from most zoos in Central Europe.

Signs in the town of Dvůr Králové nad Labem may also read Zoo Dvůr Králové. With around 450,000 visitors a year, it is one of the most visited attractions in the Czech Republic. It suits families and anyone interested in African wildlife, and seeing both the safari and the walking areas easily fills the better part of a day.