During a team-building meeting in June we visited Płock, one of the main urban centres in the Kujawy, Pomorze & Mazowsze Region, where we are developing our fibre-optic network. A visit to the Municipal Zoo, where we cleaned the grounds of the centre as part of our pro-social initiative, inspired us to take care of some of its residents. We decided that for 6 months, we will financially support 5 animals that, in our opinion, most embody the values of NEXERA. Get to know them:

Lion - courage

Although described as the king of the jungle, the lion prefers to stay in the savannah, where there is more open space. It spends most of its day sleeping and lazing around, as befits a cat, but once it starts running, it can accelerate to speeds of 60 km/h. Lions live in Africa and residually in India. Once upon a time, they could be found on almost every continent, but unfortunately, they are now the endangered species and there are more statues depicting this animal in the world than real lions. For centuries, the lion, admired by humans, has become a symbol of courage, and the bravest heroes and rulers were said to have a 'lion's heart'. This is why we have chosen to support one of them, as it is a living embodiment of one of our values.

Lion - interesting facts:

· Lions are the second largest cats in the world! Only tigers are bigger. · The roar of a lion can be heard from up to 8 km away. · Lionesses are responsible for foraging for food. · Lions like to cuddle! They build relationships with each other this way. · The bushier the mane, the stronger the lion.

Seals - enthusiasm

On land, cuddly and seemingly clumsy, in the water - true predators. Seals are excellent swimmers, able to plunge as deep as 1,200 metres. They are even able to fall asleep underwater, automatically surfacing from time to time to take a breath. They communicate with each other by grunting and banging their fins against the surface while looking really cute. They are also very sociable and love to play water chases. It is because of their enthusiastic disposition that they are associated with our energy for action. NEXERA decided to take care of the grey seal, also found in the Baltic Sea, one of the charming marine charges of the Płock centre.

Did you know that?

· Seals are lazy creatures and their favourite pastime is basking in the sun. · Grey seals lead a sedentary lifestyle. · They have no auricles. · They have very good eyesight and are able to see even underwater. · Baby seals can gain up to 2 kg of weight per day.

Reindeer - entrepreneurship

Reindeer are one of the first animals domesticated by humans. Their distinctive feature is their impressive antlers, which are found in both males and females. The most unusual part of their body is their colour-changing eyes. Reindeer have a layer in their eyes that sits just behind the retina and helps to reflect light, allowing the animals to see better during the prevailing darkness of Arctic nights. In summer, their colour is golden, and in winter blue, which allows the reindeer to see extra ultraviolet radiation. They are the only animals in the world that can do this! This is probably why Santa Claus chose them as his helpers for the nightly delivery of presents... Thanks to their festive commitment, we at NEXERA associate reindeer with entrepreneurship, a trait we place high in our internal hierarchy of values.

Here are some interesting facts about these brave animals.

· Reindeer can spontaneously lower the temperature of their limbs, making them better able to cope with snow and ice. · Their noses are specially adapted to warm the cold air. · The reindeer's hooves are hard in winter and become soft in summer. · When they walk, the reindeer's tendons rub against their bones, causing a sound similar to clicking, making it easier to communicate in the herd. · In Finland, reindeer antlers are painted with reflective paint to make them visible to drivers.

Duck - trust

Domesticated ducks often lose the ability to fly, but those in the wild can soar as high as airplanes. They usually migrate through the air between 60 metres and 1,200 metres above sea level. They are waterfowl, so they are most often found near ponds, lakes, and rivers. Thanks to their waterproof feathers, the down feather layer right next to their skin remains completely dry even when diving. Their feet, on the other hand, have no nerves or blood vessels, making them unable to feel the cold. As you can see, we are not the only ones who like these interesting birds. The Muscovy duck we adopted is featured on postage stamps issued in Belize, Honduras, North Korea, Mexico, and the UK! Some ducks also mate for life, so we associate them with trust - one of NEXERA's most important values.

It would seem to be a fairly common animal, meanwhile…

· How many eggs a duck produces depends on the amount of daylight. · Ducks can control which side of the brain remains inactive during sleep. · They have three eyelids and, unlike most animals, can see colours. · They are found on all continents, except Antarctica. · These birds eat gravel and sand to help them break down their food.

Monkey - openness

There are currently more than 200 species of monkey in the world, which are extremely diverse because they have very different characteristics. For example, the mandrill, which you may associate with the 'Lion King', is the most colourful monkey in nature and has longer tusks than the lion himself - the ruler of the jungle. These animals don't just eat bananas, although they certainly enjoy this delicacy. Monkeys are omnivorous and have no reluctance to steal food from humans. They are highly intelligent, able to learn the basics of mathematics, as well as recognise caregivers and communicate with them. They are able to feel attachment, friendship, and love, thanks to their extremely developed emotional intelligence. For us, the monkey is synonymous with openness, which is why we decided to take care of the white-faced saki.

Some facts about apes (including some inconvenient ones).

· We distinguish between Old World and New World monkeys. · Some species (including chimpanzees and baboons) actively hunt and will not disdain meat food. · Apes are very vocal. They speak their own language. · The white-faced saki males have black hair with white fur on the front of the head, while females have brown-grey fur. · The monkeys can lie to each other to appropriate food they do not want to share.

The semi-annual donation of animals from Płock Zoo is just one of the many outreach activities we carry out in the NEXERA Regions. We are open to the needs of local communities, and our support includes important educational, sporting, and civic initiatives. At NEXERA, we know that together we can do more. We want to bring help to those in need, we listen to the voices of local people and are keen to get involved in individual aid campaigns. Since the beginning of our activity, we have been active in the development of the Regions where we are developing our fibre-optic infrastructure. Since September 2018, we have been doing this as part of the NEXERA Heroes aid programme, which you can find out more about HERE.