Czech zoo helping conserve endangered PHL bird 'Talarak'

Plzen Zoo in the Czech Republic — known as the zoo that has the most variety of animals in the world — is helping preserve the endangered Philippine Talarak bird, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Tuesday.   The Plzen Zoo is the second biggest Zoo in the Czech Republic, the DFA said. The city of Plzen, where the zoo is located, is the fourth most populous city of the Czech Republic.   According to the DFA, one of the beneficiaries of the zoo's conservation projects in Asia is the Talarak Rescue Center in Negros.   "Pavel Hospodarsky, a former employee of Plzen Zoo who has been a field researcher in the Philippines since 2008, is helping the Talarak Rescue Center in the conservation of the endangered Talarak bird. He is married to a Filipina," the DFA said.   On April 20, Philippine Ambassador to the Czech Republic Evelyn Garcia joined embassy officials from Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam in visiting the Plzen Zoo.   The visit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) diplomats to the Zoo was upon the invitation of the Zoo's Director Jiri Travnicek.   During the visit, Garcia handed over to Travnicek Czech Crowns (Kc) 15,000 (about US$833) as contribution to the Talarak Rescue Center in the Philippines. - VVP, GMA News