Husband and wife Davor and Zrinka Derković Ivčić have left their busy lives in Zagreb to take care of exotic birds in the unspoilt surroundings of Slavonia. Becoming familiar with colourful birdlife while on holiday in Tenerife, visiting the island’s Loro Park, the pair decided to set up their own parrot breeding farm, buying their first bird from Kokolo farm in Križevci.
As their birds were more and more numerous, space in their Zagreb flat became smaller and smaller. They decided to sell it and buy a house in order to provide their menagerie with a more comfortable home. That’s when they moved to Samatovci near Osijek in Slavonia. They acquired a site of three hectares and set up their own company, ‘Only Exotic’.
“We often used to rent a house in Slavonia to escape from the hustle and bustle of Zagreb. We would enjoy peace, animals and local food. In addition, we believe that the Osijek-Baranja County encourages the work of young entrepreneurs,” they told Pixsell’s Paula Bosančić.
In addition to taking care of their birds, Davor and Zrinka are also turning to rural tourism. In their house in Samatovci, they plan to provide guests with accommodation, homemade Slavonian food and massage treatments. They aim to open a family hotel for pets with a personalised approach, where guests can spend time with their pets or leave them in care.
Davor and Zrinka would love to share their knowledge with others and plan to make presentations and hold education about their birds. “Soon we’ll welcome a Harris’s hawk is coming soon, for which we plan to pass the falconry exam. Falconry from Croatia is categorised as a UNESCO intangible heritage, and we want to nurture its heritage,” says Davor.
In addition, another barn owl is arriving, to join the one gifted from a friend in Split, and they’re looking to get a short-eared owl as well. Paula Bosančić