Exhibition "ANIMALS ON EARTH AND MAN"

The tour will take you through three newly renovated halls, which were not accessible to the public before their reconstruction in 2013. The author of the exhibition is the zoologist of the Museum of South-East Moravia in Zlín, Dušan TRÁVNÍČEK.

It presents individual zoogeographical regions using natural objects, maps, texts, and photographs. What is most attractive to visitors are hundreds of various animal specimens from all over the world – you can see skeletons, taxidermied animals, liquid preparations, and insects in entomological boxes.

A number of remarkable exhibits come from the collections of Count Seilern, the founder of ZOO Lešná.

The undeniable unique feature of the exhibition is the skeleton of the elephant Sumatra, which is the only exhibited elephant skeleton in the country. It is complemented by information about the life story of this animal.

The exhibition is arranged zoogeographically – upon entering each zoogeographical area, visitors pass a map where the respective territory is highlighted, and data on climate, main vegetation zones, and the development of fauna are summarized. Photographs of characteristic landscapes, habitats, and animals of the given area are attached. The most important, however, are the exhibited animal specimens.

The architectural solution respects the genius loci of the castle premises. An interesting fact is that the specimens placed around the perimeter of the halls are not separated from visitors by any barrier. In the middle of each hall is a large display case with massive wooden paneling resembling the frame of an old painting. The composition inside resembles hunting still lifes, which are characteristic of feudal residences.

The exhibition also outlines a wide range of relationships between people and animals. The following topics are covered on banners: Animals in Myths and Religions, Man – Traveler, Man – Hunter, Man – Exterminator, Man – Scientist, Man – Protector of Nature.

Part of the exhibition also includes four touch screens with interactive programs, where visitors can test and expand their knowledge using various "animal" quizzes of varying difficulty for three of them. The fourth program offers information with photo galleries about all protected areas of the Zlín Region.

The educational department offers accompanying programs for schools to the exhibition.