But not yet extinct: Zoo shows extremely rare insect

By Michael Heitmann

Prague (Czech Republic) - One of the rarest insects in the world can now be seen at Prague Zoo : The Australian tree lobster is reminiscent of a sea lobster in appearance, but belongs to the ghost insects.

In the wild, it is only native to the remote Lord Howe Archipelago in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand. Adult specimens of the species "Dryococelus australis" grow up to 15 centimetres long. The new exhibition of tree lobsters in the Czech capital was due to open its doors to visitors on Saturday.

The tree lobster was considered extinct for almost 80 years. In 1918, rats arrived on the Lord Howe Archipelago on a stranded ship and seemed to have completely devoured the insect species.

But miraculously, in the early 2000s, researchers discovered a few surviving specimens on the rocky island "Ball's Pyramid", which rises more than 500 meters out of the sea.

For zoo director Miroslav Bobek, the new arrival in Prague is a wish come true. But first he had to make the journey of more than 16,000 kilometers to the Lord Howe archipelago. The reason: the islanders had to give their consent, as the former journalist reports. He managed to convince them.

The foundation stone for the new breeding program in Prague was laid not by adult insects, but by around 400 eggs from Melbourne Zoo. "That's enough - and the eggs are much easier and safer to transport," said Bobek.

However, it proved difficult to find the right food for the creepy-crawlies in the European climate. Some things were not to the insects' taste, others were not to their liking. A new favorite food: the large-leaved fig tree.

The tree lobsters are bright green and diurnal at the beginning of their lives, but later turn black-brown and nocturnal.

If you want to see these rare animals up close in Prague, you should book a guided tour, which is offered daily at 2.30 pm, for an extra charge.