Prague Zoo welcomes great-grandson of sea lion Gaston, famous for his 2002 flood escape
Prague Zoo has welcomed a new Cape fur seal pup, the great-grandson of the legendary Gaston, whose dramatic escape during the devastating floods of 2002 made headlines around the world. I discussed the latest arrival and Gaston's lasting legacy with Prague Zoo spokesperson Filip Mašek.
The new pup was born on June 5, but the zoo only announced the news last week. How is he doing now and why did you wait before sharing the good news?
"We waited several weeks because after the birth there were some problems with the mother's lactation, as it's her first offspring. We were also waiting for the moment she realized that it was her offspring and that she should take care of him, which took several days.
"So the keepers actually had to feed him artificially for a few days, just a little bit. They were waiting until the lactation and all the hormones in the female processed themselves, and that successfully happened. On the sixth day after the birth, she started protecting him."
So how is the pup doing right now?
"At the moment, the little seal is doing very well. He is with his mother in the background premises of the zoo, so visitors can't see him yet.
"He has actually reached another milestone. He weighs over eight kilograms at the moment and is doing very well.
"He's now starting to play and is becoming very curious about the things around him. The keepers have also given him a new little swimming pool because sea lions are born on land, but then they have to learn how to swim.
"So that's what he'll be facing over the next several weeks. He has to learn how to swim before we let him into the main exposition."
This little sea lion is the great-grandson of Gaston, whose dramatic escape during the 2002 floods captured people's hearts around the world. Could you remind our listeners of Gaston's remarkable story and what it means for Prague Zoo that his family line is continuing today?
"Gaston is one of the most memorable animals that ever lived at Prague Zoo, but for a sad reason.
"During the massive floods in Prague in the summer of 2002, he sadly escaped the zoo. He got into the wild river, which carried him all the way to Germany, where, after many days, keepers managed to catch him. But on the truck journey from Germany back to Prague, he sadly died because of complete dehydration and the collapse of his organism.
"But at that time, one female was already pregnant with Gaston's offspring, Meloun, a very popular sea lion who sort of took over the tradition and became the leader of the sea lion group here. Then his son, Eda, was born several years ago, and now we've welcomed an offspring from Eda. So this really is Gaston's great-grandson.
"Gaston has a statue here in the zoo and there's also a restaurant named after him because, although it was a sad story, it was also a story of hope that brought many people's attention to Prague Zoo. We like to commemorate Gaston because we think he deserves it."
Has the little sea lion been given a name yet, and when will people be able to see him?
"The name has already been chosen by the keepers, but I can't reveal it yet.
"I can tell you that it will honour the origin of this species. And I'm pretty sure visitors will be able to see the little pup during the summer holidays. I think we'll be able to let him into the exposition pool in mid-August."
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