Weekly review no. 17
26.01.2024
Cheetah offspring in Ústí
You usually only see something like this on television, but now it's almost on your doorstep: four young cheetahs in the Ústí Zoo. In return, visitors are granted exceptional access to a small enclosure above the cheetah house, where the four siblings can let off steam. But they can still only be seen to a limited extent, because due to the low temperatures, the hatch into the cheetah house remains permanently open. The four cute wild cats can go and warm up at any time, which they do actively. But as temperatures rise, they will become more visible.
The cheetah offspring was born in September. It was only announced at the beginning of December that the cheetahs had cubs. They can only be seen now. There is a reason for this reluctance: raising cheetahs in human care is extremely difficult. This begins with the selection of the couple who will only live together for the mating period and otherwise go their separate ways. In addition, the zoo had already been able to report two cubs in 2022, but both had to be euthanized one after the other due to a bone tumor. Despite the sad ending, the breeding was already a success for the zoo. The cheetah, for whom this was her first birth, has gained experience. The birth was also proof that the couple was fertile.
This time things seem to be going better, so the zoo is now going public more aggressively. If the four cheetah cubs continue to enjoy excellent health, they would be a real sensation. Because of the difficulties described, the four wild playmates are unique. The Ústí Zoo points out that only 14 cheetahs were born across Europe in 2023 as part of the cheetah breeding program. Only 6 of them are currently still alive, including the four in nearby Ústí.
Forest sets up shelters
The state forest is setting up 20 new shelters for hikers in its forests this year. The first was only released for use in the Schluckenau tip on the border with Saxony. It is located on the yellow-marked hiking trail just above the town of Severní and only a few hundred meters from the Hohwald Clinic. The next refuge will be completed in spring below Klínovec, the highest mountain in the Ore Mountains.
The open huts with sloping roofs are simply and functionally furnished. The most important building material is wood. The hut has a wide platform for sleeping, a bench and a table. They are usually located near watercourses, far from commercial accommodation options and usually on marked long-distance hiking trails such as Stezka Českem or Via Czechia. These routes have made long-distance hiking more popular in recent years. Long-distance hikers usually spend the night in the open air, but in the event of rain they also use existing shelters, which were not intended for sleeping.
The Krušnohoří Tourism Association (Ore Mountains) is also planning to build 12 trekking huts. But they should be closed and equipped with a photovoltaic system and a small oven.
Road to Hřensko open again
A heavy boulder came loose on Wednesday in Hřensko in Bohemian Switzerland and fell onto the Bad Schandau-Děčín highway. The road then had to be closed from the Schmilka/Hřensko border crossing. The cause of the fall was probably the strong wind. A fallen tree is said to have loosened the block. He had almost completely fallen onto the street. Due to its weight (around 15 tons), it had also broken through the metal safety nets, which are designed for chunks of up to 10 tons. A company then shredded the boulder on behalf of the national park administration, removed other smaller and larger pieces of rock on the slope that were in danger of falling, and repaired the safety nets. As of Friday, 1:50 p.m., the road was clear again.
The creation of this newsletter is co-financed by tax revenue based on the budget approved by the Saxon state parliament.