Petr Čolas

Petr mediated the interconnection of the Stolen Wildlife’s founders. He has devoted his life to issues of nature and its protection in various ways. Since 1990, he has been working in the Ostrava Zoo on various positions, in 2004 he became its director. Under his leadership, the Ostrava Zoo has transformed and developed into an important conservation institution operating both at home and around the world. Petr is a promoter of the uniform breeding and conservation strategy of modern zoos, philosophy of which is the protection of species not only ex-situ, but also in-situ, i.e. in the area of the species' natural occurrence.


"We humans have already destroyed and exterminated so much that any loss of another species of animal or plant would lead us to the collapse of whole ecosystems. Each one of us is in the world only on a short visit. Therefore, in the time given to us, and we do not know how long it will last, we should not just accumulate perishable possessions. Instead, we should rather try to do everything to hand Earth over to those who come after us at least in the state in which we received it from our predecessors, or even in a better state."


"Linking your life with an attempt to reduce the catastrophic impact of current illegal trade in animals requires a great deal of quixotism and enthusiasm. Even if one is too often overwhelmed with complete frustration and hopelessness, it does not mean that he can resign."