Name: Stania Kuspertova
Role at the zoo: Founder and director
In which activities you will find me: Flying Exhibition / Owls Experience / Falconry Course / Guided Tour / Petting zoo / Working with Schools
What I studied: Baccalaureate in the Czech Republic
What I like: Animals and birds of prey in particular. Be with them, help them if they need it and learn from them. Pass on my knowledge to people interested in nature protection.
What I dislike: Hypocrisy.
My goal for 2023: To raise an additional €150,000 to build new facilities so that all the animals in the refuge have the quality of life they deserve. Do you want to help me? Here is the link: Instant donation *
*)Your entire contribution will be used for construction. We earn the money we need to run the foundation by working towards the public.
Stania’s life before the Zoo of the Pyrenees
Stania’s childhood
This is me: one of the happiest moments of my childhood. I was born in the Czech Republic, in a small city of 8,000 inhabitants. Since I was little I have loved animals, and by then it was clear to me: I wanted to be a veterinarian.
I’m leaving home
But my parents forbade me to study veterinary medicine. At the height of puberty and frustrated at not being able to become a veterinarian, I left home. I went to work at the largest falcon breeding center in the world, in Germany. I was 18 years old.
Stania’s family
And it was there that I found my purpose. I lived a happy life, surrounded by falcons and nature. As time went by I married the owner of the company and we had three wonderful children (Martin, Anna and Lukas).
The Peregrine Foundation
We traveled a lot. We had a very nice time in the United States as guests of the founder of «The Peregrine Foundation». There I learned that if a group of great entrepreneurs who care about nature join together, great things can be done to save species.
Travel to Arab Countries
But obviously most of our trips were to Arab countries. I learned to respect the arabic culture. But I also saw that if you have money you can get whatever you want. Regardless of whether your intentions are in accordance with the global protection of species or not.
Problems in Germany
Unfortunately, a mushroom company set up right next to the falcon breeding centre. To save money they did not put filters in the cultivation halls. The air was filled with spores and toxins that were invisible but lethal to the falcons.
Catalonia
There is no cure for mold-covered lungs. The falcons were dying, they could not breathe. To save our animals we made a desperate decision. My husband had a property in the Catalan Pyrenees; we transfer the entire company there as quickly as possible.
Stania’s concern
A part of the falcons still died due to the consequences, but little by little hope returned to us. We saw that many of them had a future. But I was restless. I wanted to do more for wild animals. I wanted my life to have meaning. Finally I decided to take a step forward, separate and start a new period.
Zoo of the Pyrenees
I met Eloi, my soulmate. (Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am also divorced.) It took us almost 4 years to get all the permits to open the Zoo of the Pyrenees. Together with the whole family we built the first zoo facilities in only 6 months. We opened our doors to the public on June 21st, 2014.
Stania’s responsibilities at the Zoo of the Pyrenees
