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One of the oldest zoos in Europe, founded in 1864. With an extensive collection of animals (more than 1,000 species!), it is one of the iconic sights of Moscow and, moreover, one of the top ten most visited zoos in the world.
The territory of the zoo occupies an area of 21.4 hectares and consists of two parts, which are separated by Bolshaya Gruzinskaya Street: they are usually called the "old" and "new" territories of the Moscow Zoo. The transition between them is carried out on a footbridge. Both territories have ponds (Bolshoy Krasnopresnensky on the old one, Small on the new one) with waterfowl, as well as aviaries and pavilions with various animals. There are cafes and souvenir shops for visitors, attractions and a playground are provided for children.
Also on the territory there is a pony riding circle and various sculptures, among which the giant "Tree of Fairy Tales" by Zurab Tsereteli and the bronze figure of a walrus stand out.
Most citizens and tourists come to the zoo just for a walk: like one of the city parks where you can see animals, but this is not the only or even its main function. The Moscow Zoo is the head zoo of Russia, a member of the World and European Associations of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA and EAZA), as well as the headquarters of the Eurasian Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EARAZA). Actively participating in international projects and programs, the Moscow Zoo makes a great contribution to the study and conservation of rare and endangered animal species.
In addition, the zoo conducts active educational activities: it has a lecture hall, the educational project "Academy of the Moscow Zoo" and the Circle of Young Biologists (KYUBZ).
Animals of the Moscow Zoo
The Moscow Zoo has an impressive collection of over 1,000 animals, with over 8,000 living specimens. These are mammals, and amphibians, and reptiles, and birds, and even fish; also in the pavilions of the zoo you can see various types of arthropods, insects and butterflies.
The most popular animals of the Moscow Zoo:
Asian elephants;
. reticulated giraffe;
Zebra Grevy;
Black antelope;
African ostrich;
Bactrian camel;
Asiatic lion;
Amur tiger;
Brown bear;
Polar bear;
Japanese macaques;
Gorilla;
orangutans;
northern fur seals;
Mississippi alligator;
blunt-nosed crocodile;
reticulated python;
Toad-yeah;
. alpaca;
capybara;
Sloth;
Andean condor;
Pink Pelican;
Pink flamingo;
Pygmy hippopotamus;
Red panda;
Ants-leaf cutters.
All animals are divided into thematic expositions and pavilions showing the inhabitants of certain regions or related species: "Fauna of Russia", "Primates", "Rock of Predatory Birds", "Turya Gorka", "Night World", "Bird House", "Terrarium" , "Animals of Africa", "Arachnoland" and others.
It is curious that among other animals in the Moscow Zoo there are real stars: for example, the giraffe Samson Hamletovich Leningradov. The giraffe Samson was born in 1993 and, thanks to his exceptional kindness and responsive reaction to visitors, has become a real favorite of the public.
Another star of the zoo was the pygmy hippopotamus Ksyusha, whose touching appearance causes genuine delight among visitors.
Birds of Prey Rock
The Rock of Predatory Birds in the Moscow Zoo is a unique exposition built around an artificial mountain with grottoes and ledges. Several enclosures, forming an irregularly shaped dome around the rock, contain representatives of large species of birds of prey: the Steller's sea eagle, the Andean condor, the black vulture and the griffon vulture.
You can recognize the Birds of Prey Rock by its spectacular dome made of metal mesh on arcuate supports, which rises above the old territory of the zoo.
The artificial rock imitates the natural habitat of birds: balconies and ledges are equipped on it, and bird houses are placed in it. Air space enclosures are designed for flight, although its capabilities, of course, are limited.
Inside the rock are technical rooms.
Exotarium
The exotarium of the Moscow Zoo is a unique space, most of which is dedicated to aquariums, in which the landscapes of the coral reef are reproduced. In his collection - about 100 species of coral fish (sharks, moray eels, butterfly fish, boxfish and others), as well as sea anemones and the corals themselves. In addition to fish, lobsters live in aquariums, sea urchins and sea stars.
Also in the Exotarium you can see a colony of South American leaf-cutting ants and a nest of earthen bumblebees.
Terrarium
The terrarium of the Moscow Zoo is a rather large pavilion, which presents a large collection of large reptiles: crocodiles, snakes, turtles.
Visitors are usually most interested in the largest specimens: the reticulated python (a large snake, the maximum length of which can reach 12 meters), the Madagascar boa constrictor, the Mississippian alligator, the blunt-nosed crocodile and the gharial crocodile. Particular attention is paid to the Mississippi alligator named Saturn - he is over 80 years old, during his life he managed to live in the Berlin (before the Second World War) and London (where he was delivered as a trophy) zoos, and in 1946 he was donated to the Moscow Zoo, where he still lives.
The Terrarium has earned special love from the little visitors of the zoo: children look at the reptiles with interest and lively argue whether the crocodiles are alive or just stuffed animals. The fact is that crocodiles lead a sedentary lifestyle, and you can spend a long time watching them and not notice a single movement.
In the outdoor enclosures of the Terrarium, you can see giant tortoises.
Primates
The Primates Pavilion, also known to visitors as the Monkey Man, is one of the largest pavilions in the Moscow Zoo, housing about 30 species of primates.
In the exposition you can see both very small monkeys - marmosets, tamarins and others, as well as larger ones. The greatest interest among visitors is caused by great apes: orangutans, gibbons and gorillas, who have a whole wing of the pavilion. In the basement of the pavilion, where twilight reigns during the day, you can see the nocturnal semi-monkeys lorises and galagos.
Among other things, information stands contain a large amount of information about our closest relatives.
night world
The pavilion "Night World", located on the old territory of the zoo near the sculpture "Tree of fairy tales", is not so big, but it has a very interesting exposition, which is especially attractive for children.
It is made in the form of a dark semi-underground cave where nocturnal animals are kept. Day and night in the pavilion have changed places: it is dark in the presence of visitors, but when the zoo closes, fluorescent lamps are turned on here. In the enclosures you can see acacia rats, African dormouse, spiny mice, chinchillas and degus, house opossums, gerbils and hedgehogs, as well as bats.
Most of the inhabitants of the "Night World" are small and inconspicuous, so it can be difficult to see them behind the glass, and visitors linger for a long time at the enclosures, trying to figure out where the animal hid.
Arachnolandia
The Arachnolandia pavilion, located on the old territory of the Moscow Zoo, presents visitors with an extensive collection of arthropods - not only spiders, as the name suggests, but also scorpions, centipedes, phrynes and praying mantises.
About 60 species of arthropods are represented in Arachnolandia: the exposition is one of the largest in Europe! In terrariums you can see karakurts, tarantulas, goliath spiders (the most large view spiders in the world), house spiders and harvestmen, wasp argiope, jumping spiders, giant and imperial scorpions, phrynes, centipedes, praying mantises and other curious inhabitants.
A visit to the pavilion is possible with a guide and is carried out by sessions.
Animals of Africa
"Animals of Africa" ("African meadow") - almost a corner of the African savannah, where you can see several species of large African animals that feed in different plant layers and do not compete with each other.
In the largest enclosure, the reticulated giraffe and Grevy's zebras coexist peacefully, and in the neighboring ones you can see the black antelope, dik-dik antelope, meerkats and pygmy hippopotamus. In summer, they walk in open enclosures, but in the cold season they move to a warm pavilion.
The local "star" was the pygmy hippo Ksyusha, touching appearance which was very fond of the visitors of the Moscow Zoo.
Turya Gorka
Turya Gorka is another artificial mountain, similar to the Birds of Prey Rock, but with fundamentally different inhabitants: mountain ungulates live here.
Gradually narrowing to the top, the hill is replete with ledges and caves, among which you can see markhorned goats and Dagestan tours. It is especially interesting to watch the males: colliding with horns, they often arrange ritual fights, and on steep slopes it looks really impressive.
children's zoo
Children's zoo - special part Moscow Zoo, located on a new territory near. It is designed to introduce the youngest visitors to different types of domestic animals: here you can see a cow, sheep, rabbits, roosters, chickens, geese and pigeons of various breeds bred by man.
There are also playgrounds here.
At the moment, the Children's Zoo is completely closed for reconstruction (until the end of 2018).
History of the Moscow Zoo
The Moscow Zoo is one of the oldest zoos in Europe. It was organized by the Russian Imperial Society for the Acclimatization of Animals and Plants and opened on February 12, 1864 (January 31, old style). One of the main initiators and inspirers of its creation was the famous zoologist and popularizer of natural sciences Anatoly Bogdanov, who saw the created zoo as an "open-air museum".
The zoo did not have full-fledged state support, and therefore soon found itself in a distressed financial situation: income from entrance fees and donations was not enough to cover the cost of keeping animals, and the Acclimatization Society was forced to sell many of the animals abroad. As a result, the exposition became poorer, and attendance fell even lower. In an attempt to improve his budget, the Society leased the zoo to private entrepreneurs, but this did not produce tangible results, and he was still deeply in debt. In 1905-1907, the Zoo found itself in the center of revolutionary battles and was significantly damaged: the newly built Aquarium was completely destroyed, wooden pavilions and buildings were burned, many animals died.
In 1919, the Moscow Zoological Garden was nationalized, and this was a turning point in its history: the city authorities began to allocate significant funds for the maintenance and replenishment of the animal collection. In 1924, for the development of the zoo, a new territory was added to it, expanding it to the Garden Ring; soon, according to the project of the architect Karl Gippius, artificial hills were built on it: the "Island of Animals" and "Turya Hill", as well as a monkey house and other new pavilions. The accession of a new territory and a change in the principles of exhibiting animals led to the renaming of the zoo into a zoo. At the same time, a research department was created at the Moscow Zoo and a Circle of Young Biologists was organized. Subsequently, the territory of the Moscow Zoo was repeatedly reconstructed and updated.
During the Great Patriotic War, the zoo was bombed, which caused him significant damage. Some of the animals were evacuated to the Sverdlovsk zoo, the new territory was closed, but the old one continued to work and remained open for visiting even on the most difficult years war.
After the end of the war, the Moscow Zoo was restored and flourished. In 1990-1997, its territory was reconstructed and renovated, the main entrance and the pedestrian bridge between the old and new territories, which have survived to this day, were built on it, as well as new expositions and pavilions, including the "Rock of Predatory Birds", "Polar world" and others.
Demonstration feeding
In addition to viewing the main exposition of animals, visitors to the zoo can see demonstrative feedings.
Demonstration feedings are an opportunity to get to know the habits of animals more closely, because it is during feedings (the hours of which animals remember well) that they are most active. In addition, for some of them, feeding is associated with play.
In the Moscow Zoo, you can see demonstration feedings of jackals, two-toed sloths, jungle cats, otters, beavers and martens, mongooses, northern fur seals, gray seals, pink pelicans, as well as amphibians, which are held in the summer according to the schedule.
Opening hours, how to get there
The Moscow Zoo is open to the public all year round and operates daily. It is best to visit it in the summer, when the animals live in outdoor enclosures; in winter, most of them are transferred to warm pavilions (and some fall into hibernation), and the exposition available to visitors is significantly reduced.
Opening hours: from 7:30 to 20:00 in summer, from 09:00 to 17:00 in winter. Entrance to the zoo stops one hour before closing.
Visit cost: 500 rubles (full ticket, adults); for a number of preferential categories - free of charge. Entrance to some pavilions and exhibitions ("Exotarium" and others) is paid separately.
Official website of the Moscow Zoo: moscowzoo.ru - on it you can specify the work schedule, ticket prices, as well as the schedule of demonstrative feedings on a specific selected day. Here you can buy tickets online or book a tour.
It is located at Bolshaya Gruzinskaya street, 1. You can get to it on foot from metro stations "Barricade" Tagansko-Krasnopresnenskaya line and "Krasnopresnenskaya" Annular.
It's nice to come to the zoo with your child and see animals and birds in the same form as they are found in nature. Often in such establishments we see unremarkable pictures when unfortunate animals rush around the cage, half-starved, wool hanging in tatters on the sides. Fortunately, the Lipetsk Zoo is not one of them. The attitude towards the guarded representatives of the fauna is careful here: the animals are kept in excellent conditions and receive a full daily ration of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
Lipetsk Zoo: overview information
One of the most popular recreation areas for residents and guests of Lipetsk is the Lower Park. Numerous visitors come here not only for the sake of beautiful plantations, mineral springs, but also to visit the Lipetsk Zoo.
On an area of 4.1 hectares there are predators in enclosures, pavilions and ponds for birds, compartments for ungulates, an aquarium and a terrarium, a contact area for children. The Lipetsk Zoo is one of the twenty best in Russia. Considering that there are about 70 of them in our country, and together with contact mini-zoos there are more than 100, this figure is quite decent. The Lipetsk zoo is located at the address: Petrovsky proezd, 2.
Directorate of the institution, whose contacts can be found on the official website zoological park, closely monitors their pets, for this purpose a whole staff of specialists is staffed. Livestock technicians, veterinarians work here, responsible people are assigned to each department (for example, the head of the calving of ungulates, terrariums, primates, etc.). This allows each animal in the Lipetsk Zoo to receive due attention and care.
How it all began?
During the years of Soviet power, the chairman of the city executive committee, Yakhontov Nikolai Georgievich, was lucky to go with a group to Cairo, where, among other attractions, there was a visit to the Egyptian zoo. This happened way back in 1971. Upon arrival home, the inspired chairman decides to create a living corner on the territory of the Lower Park. At the same time, the construction of the zoo began, and a circus trainer, who was touring in Lipetsk, was invited to head it. Agreeing to the proposal, he contributed to the new business in the form of cubs and other animals. On bare enthusiasm, people built cages and lairs, paved paths, brought pets and birds from all over Lipetsk.
In 1973, the zoo opened, the number of species of birds and animals gradually increased. The territory grew, enclosures and pavilions were built. The number of visitors has grown every year. The Lipetsk zoo has become a real pride of the city.
Hard times
With the onset of the "dashing 90s" and the advent of private ownership, things at the zoo went much worse. An endless series of changes of leaders began, each of which wanted to do everything in his own way. Employees were paid meager salaries, and sometimes not paid at all. Many high-class specialists left of their own free will. Animals and birds did not receive adequate nutrition. The enclosures and other premises required urgent repairs, but there were no funds for this.
The nightmare continued until Alexander Ivanovich Osipov was appointed director of the zoo. He competently organized repair and construction work on the territory in a short time. Gradually began to increase the permeability of visitors. All proceeds from the sale of tickets went to the improvement of the zoo. Fortunately, over time, he became the way we see him now.
The structure of the zoo: departments, pavilions, enclosures and other premises
It is worth starting with the favorite territory of young visitors, where you can pet and feed the animals. This is the contact zone of the zoo, where children are allowed to enter with small treats: carrots, hay, crackers, apples, etc. You can stay here for a while, you are allowed to touch a small llama, try to feed fussy rabbits, watch other harmless animals from close range.
The first thing that visitors see to the right of the entrance is a beautiful lake created for waterfowl. Swans, curly pelicans, storks, geese and ducks live here. Usually zoo tours start and end with the lake.
The pavilions with bears (brown, baribal), enclosures with tiger and jaguars, lion, lynx, puma and leopard are of the greatest interest to children and adults. A special pride of the zoo and a rather rare exhibit - ligers (children of a lion and a tigress) - the largest cats in the world that do not exist in nature, and in our country there are only 4 of them.
Ungulate animals live in a zoo over a large area. These are deer, llamas, ponies, guanacos, camels, horses. The monkey pavilion in the Lipetsk zoo is quite spacious, equipped with the necessary rods and trees for climbing, so that macaques and hamadryas live well. There are winter and summer enclosures for birds. Ostriches and several species of cranes are kept separately.
The Lipetsk Zoo also has a terrarium with pythons, anacondas, turtles and other amphibians and reptiles. In the pavilion with aquariums, there are about 20 separate reservoirs where piranhas, barbs, angelfish and other tropical fish live.
Rare animal species
The zoo contains such unique representatives of the fauna as the tomato frog, eagle owls, peregrine falcons, bustards, white storks listed in the Red Book.
Many large animals breed here. For example, Himalayan bears, servals, leopards breed. Foals appear in the Przewalski's horses and cubs in the bison. Very rarely in zoos you can observe such joyful phenomena that indicate that animals are kept in the most comfortable conditions.
Zoo programs and activities
Employees-zoologists often travel to conduct thematic lessons in preschool and school educational institutions. The contact zone of the zoo also bears the educational load.
Animal support program by private individuals on a commercial basis consists of voluntary payment for the maintenance of one or more animals per year. This program has been running at the zoo for several years, and businessmen and organizations of the city and the region are actively involved in it. On the aviary of the protected animal, the contacts of the patron are indicated as advertising.
Employees also receive additional funds from the sale of pet products in a small store.
On January 31, 1864, thanks to the efforts of the All-Russian Imperial Society for the Acclimatization of Plants and Animals, the first Moscow Zoo was opened, from which one of the largest zoos in the world was subsequently formed. The garden was territorially laid out on the site of a city park for festivities on Presnensky Ponds.
Directly on the opening day of the Moscow Zoo, there were 134 specimens of domestic animals, 153 wild animals and birds, and 7 reptiles. Muscovites liked lions, leopard and rhinoceros the most among the exotic.
Today, as the press service of the Moscow Zoo told RG, their collection of animals, fish, reptiles, amphibians is one of the largest and most unique in the world. It has 8,000 animals belonging to 1,000 species. What are the most rare, valuable and unusual animals now living in the capital's zoo?
1. Manul
Until last year, the wild cat, the manul, was considered the symbol of the Moscow Zoo. Zoo scientists say that these cute fluffy animals that live in the steppes and deserts of Western, Central and Central Asia and southern Siberia - from the Caspian Sea to Transbaikalia - still remain an extremely little-studied species. And all because manul leads a secretive lifestyle. In nature, manuls have few enemies. Of the terrestrial predators, probably only the wolf preys on them.
The wild cat feeds mainly on pikas and rodents. It catches its prey, guarding it at stones and holes. Manul is a nocturnal animal. It is usually met either after sunset or early in the morning. But in the summer, the cat still goes out to bask in the sun. Pallas have interesting feature: in autumn - in October - November, their appetite increases. The animals eat one and a half times more than usual and rapidly gain weight - the mass of adult males at this time can reach 10 kg. But in December - January, the appetite worsens, and sometimes manuls are eaten even every other day.
Manul is included in the Red Books of Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia and China. In the zoos of the world, manulas are rare inhabitants. Pallas's cat first appeared in the Moscow Zoo in 1957. Now a female with a cub lives in the zoo. It is not easy to raise little manuls in the zoo, employees say. Even if the mother takes good care of them. Kittens often get sick and die. To protect them, they are vaccinated against feline infectious diseases every two weeks from six weeks of age to three months, and then vaccinated annually throughout their lives.
Adult Pallas are also not easy patients for veterinarians. They get sick very secretly, not showing symptoms of the disease until it is too late. Often the well-being of an animal can be judged by the expression of the eyes and subtle nuances of behavior. Treating manuls is also not easy: they have to be caught with a special net and firmly fixed. These small cats are desperately defending themselves: with claws and long sharp teeth capable of inflicting severe wounds. But even among manuls there are exceptions. A manul named Sultan lived in the Moscow Zoo. He was caught young in the wild and lived in the zoo for a very long time. Already at an advanced age, he injured his neck, and the wound did not heal for a long time. When veterinarians came to him, he rose on his hind legs, leaned on the edge of the house with his front legs and turned his neck to treat the wound. That was such a smart cat.
2. Irbis (snow leopard)
Today, the irbis, which has an unusually beautiful fur, is endangered and is listed in the Red Book.
In nature, the snow leopard lives in the mountainous regions of Asia - from Afghanistan to western China, in the Himalayas, in Tibet, in the mountains of Mongolia, in Altai. This is one of the highest mountain animals. In most areas, the snow leopard stays in the summer near alpine meadows along the snow line at an altitude of 3500 - 4000 meters, in the Himalayas it reaches the mark of 5500 -6000 meters.
Animals live alone. Only once a year - from March to May - the male meets the female. But in the future, he does not take part in the upbringing of children. This predator hunts large ungulates - roe deer and wild boar. In summer, the snow leopard follows ungulates to high-mountain alpine meadows, in spring - to the forest zone. After heavy snowfalls, it descends to the foothill plains. The leopard silently sneaks up on its prey and suddenly jumps on it. He can jump up to 10 meters in length and up to 3 in height. Not catching the prey immediately, he stops the pursuit after a few jumps.
The first snow leopard in the Moscow Zoo appeared in 1901. Since then, more than one generation of snow leopards has changed. These animals are not aggressive, but in captivity remain wild and are not tamed. And as the true inhabitants of the highlands, living near the border of the ice, they do not tolerate heat well. Therefore, in summer, the Moscow snow leopard hides in the shade, and it can be a great success to see it.
3. Vicuna
A very rare animal of the camelid family, listed in the Red Book.
The vicuña has been considered a sacred animal in the Andes since ancient times. The highlanders believed that it was given to them by the gods so that they could survive in the hunger and cold of these harsh places. The Incas called her wool the "golden fleece" or "the rune of the gods", considered it healing and forbade the killing of these animals. Vicunas were caught during royal hunts, sheared and released into the wild, while the number of animals in nature remained stable. From soft, beautiful wool they made clothes for high nobles. The Spaniards, having arrived in South America, began to shoot vicuñas in large numbers. This was done mainly in order to obtain the most expensive and rare wool in the world, although vicuña meat was considered a delicacy.
The number of animals began to decline rapidly: if up to the 16th century more than 2 million vicunas lived in the Andes, by 1965 there were no more than 6 thousand individuals left. But in 1967, the first reserve was created in Peru to protect vicunas. And after 5 years international organization in charge of security rare species animals CITES, which is under the auspices of the UN, banned the sale of wool of these animals worldwide.
Currently, the number of vicuñas in nature is about 2 million individuals. In addition, it works international program breeding of these animals in captivity, in which the Moscow Zoo takes an active part.
Vicuñas are very unpretentious in their social behavior. They feed on tough grassy vegetation, preferring cereals. Animals are very cautious, moving in the wild only during daylight hours.
In Moscow, the vicuña lives with other camelids of the New World. This is a male who came to this group at the age of one, just at the time when in nature young animals leave the family. He gets along well with his close "relatives". Vicuna, guanaco, llama and alpaca perfectly understand each other's "language" and live together: they feed and rest as members of the same group - at the same time and not far from each other.
4. White-tailed Wildebeest
The history of the relationship between the white-tailed wildebeest and man is very instructive. Unlike the blue wildebeest, which is widespread on the African continent, the white-tailed wildebeest lived in the very south of Africa. Before Europeans came to Africa, the indigenous population hunted these antelopes for food, but this did not affect the total number of animals. By the 18th century, however, the situation had changed radically. For more than a hundred years, the wildebeest was continuously persecuted, especially many animals were killed in the 70s of the XIX century by hunters for skins, which were then sent to Europe. By the end of 1885, researchers doubted whether even one animal had survived in nature. Fortunately, enthusiastic farmers have kept a herd of 300 heads on their lands.
For the next fifty years, all the surviving animals lived only on the territories of private farms. In 1936, several antelopes were released into the hunting reserve, where they successfully settled down and began to breed. By the middle of the 20th century, the total number of white-tailed wildebeest reached two thousand heads. Currently, these animals live on several protected areas as well as on private property. All living white-tailed wildebeests are the descendants of those 300 individuals that were kept by two South African farmers at the end of the 19th century on their lands.
Wildebeest are so peculiar that once you see this animal, you will always remember it. It has a short and dense body with a sloping back. The head is large, heavy, with a long muzzle covered with a brush of coarse hair sticking up. A beard under the throat, a tuft of hair between the front legs and a stiff mane on the neck and withers. Both sexes have horns. They are smooth, fused at the base and bizarrely curved. The length of the horns reaches 70-80 cm. The tail is long, white, almost reaching the ground, similar to a horse's. The legs are thin with sharp hooves. The color of the body of the white-tailed wildebeest is dark brown, the manes and beards are almost black, the males are somewhat darker than the females.
Wildebeest have been kept in the Moscow Zoo since 1992. You can see a group of these animals in the Old Territory next to the Giraffe House, where they have a large clearing. These antelopes are well adapted to cold weather and enter the room during the day only at temperatures below -20 °.
5. Guanaco
Guanaco is one of two species of wild New World humpless camels. From time immemorial, people hunted this animal for the sake of skin and meat. But the guanaco is not only an object of hunting, it is he who is the ancestor of the domestic humpless camel - the llama. It is believed that the process of domestication began about 5000 years ago. Animals were used both as pack animals and sheared for wool.
The fact that the guanaco plays a very important role in people's lives is evidenced by the fact that in Argentina there is a city named after this animal - Guanaco.
Now there are few guanacos left, and the number of these animals continues to decline. This is due to the pastures taken from the guanacos, on which livestock graze, and poaching, which claims the lives of hundreds of animals every year.
On a ranch in the Andes, guanacos are currently bred in captivity for their fur, which is used to make clothes and jewelry. It resembles a fox and is used both in its natural form and dyed.
Interestingly, the guanaco big eyes with long eyelashes and rather large movable ears. The coat is long, thick, the color of the upper back and neck is red-brown. The belly, legs and neck are almost white from below, the color border between dark and light coloration is pronounced. On the face of the guanaco, the hair is dark, and the ears are light gray. This animal differs from the vicuña, in which both the muzzle and the ears are brownish (the color of the rest of the body is similar). Females are somewhat smaller than males.
Guanaco is a very unpretentious animal. Like all herbivores - inhabitants of harsh places, feeds on grass, leaves and branches of shrubs, can do without water for a long time. However, when possible, he drinks regularly, and not only fresh, but also brackish water.
Guanacos are very cautious animals and are capable of speeds up to 56 km/h. Guanacos keep mainly in the mountains, rising to the snow line, in the dry season they descend into humid valleys.
In the zoo, a male guanaco lives in the same enclosure with other humpless camels - llama, alpaca and vicuña. The company of humpless camels is "male", it is quite friendly, despite the fact that the animals belong to different types. They eat nearby, rest nearby and perfectly understand each other. Of the entire company, the guanaco is an old-timer. Favorite place rest he has - a large stone slab-elevation in the far right corner of the enclosure. Here, the guanaco likes to stand for a long time and look at the street: at people, vehicles. Or lies, surveying his aviary and a pond with many birds.
6. Sichuan takin
The only extant species in the genus. The local population of Asia - from China to India, on whose territory these animals live, has long hunted them. The meat was used for food, the skin - for clothing or housing. However, intensive hunting has never been conducted. Fortunately, none healing properties, like many other large animals, takins were not attributed, so they have survived to this day, although they are rare.
A scientific description was made in the middle of the 19th century, the first living takin came from Burma to the London Zoo as early as 1909, but even today this animal in captivity is a rarity. Outside of China, takins are kept in no more than 30 zoos. In Russia, apart from the Moscow Zoo, takins can also be seen in Novosibirsk.
Takin is a very peculiar beast. In its systematic position, it is close to goats and rams, but more like a small bull with its heavy head with a wide muzzle, powerful, short legs and large size: takin body length 170-220 cm, height at the withers 100-130 cm, weight - up to 350 kg. Males are larger than females. Animals of both sexes have horns, their length in males can reach 50 cm, and in shape they are similar to wildebeest horns: they are set close at the base, expanded and flattened, first go to the sides, covering the forehead, then bend up and back. Short tail(15-20 cm) almost invisible under the long coat, which is surprisingly beautiful: thick and especially long on the underside of the body, neck, tail and sides. The hair is thin, richly oiled, which protects the animals from very high humidity and fogs.
Takins are one of the least studied ungulates. They are active mainly at dawn and dusk. They live in small groups in hard-to-reach places. Old males live alone. Takins are very attached to their plots, they are reluctant to leave them even when cutting down forests, hiding in bamboo thickets. Takins run fast, but when taken by surprise, they lie low - a behavior rarely seen in adult ungulates. Freezing, the takin lies down, stretches his neck, and presses tightly to the ground. He can lie so still and motionless that he can be stepped on.
Takins are ruminant animals that prefer grasses, leaves and twigs of 130 plant species of high mountain flora from spring to autumn.
They were first brought to the Moscow Zoo from China quite recently, in January 2009, just on the eve of the Year of the Bull.
Takins are fed once a day with juicy food (carrots, beets, apples) and there is always dry food in the feeder (alfalfa, herbs, branches) during the day.
7. Black antelope
Almost all types of antelopes, and the black one is no exception, are desirable prey for humans. In the 19th century in Africa, where antelopes live, streams of European colonialists poured in, and grandiose safaris began, which marked the beginning of the extermination of many species of African ungulates. The horns of all representatives of the group of saber-horned antelopes are still considered a valuable and honorable trophy. By the middle of the 20th century, this circumstance brought almost all types of the group to the brink of extinction. Of the three species of horse antelopes, one - the blue antelope - was completely destroyed already at the beginning of the 19th century.
The number of black antelope is currently continuing to decline. The rarest subspecies, the giant black antelope, which lives in Angola, is in a critical situation, its numbers are unknown.
AT last years some farmers in South Africa began to breed on their lands not livestock, but wild animals, and the black antelope can take its rightful place among them. The animal is very expensive, and, according to one of the South African livestock breeders, a person who has a herd of 20 female black antelope is considered to be very wealthy.
The study social relations black antelope in nature is extremely difficult, so scientists get these data in the course of observations of animals kept in nurseries and zoos. Adult females and young live in groups of 10 or more individuals. Moreover, they live in the territory of the male.
A rigid hierarchy is established between females, to which all members of the group obey. Females can fight fiercely among themselves, sometimes inflicting severe wounds with sharp horns. At the same time, the older ones always protect the younger ones from an external aggressor, and each female can move away from the group for a while, leaving her cub in the care of the rest. Black antelopes are active mainly in the morning and evening hours, and at night and during the hot part of the day they rest.
The basis of their diet is herbaceous plants, mainly cereals. With pleasure they eat young shoots and leaves of various shrubs and trees, especially in the dry season. These animals cannot go without water for more than 2-3 days, and usually drink several times a day.
The first two black antelopes appeared in the Moscow Zoo in 1971, they were brought as a gift by employees of a well-known Dutch wildlife trade company. A few months later, offspring appeared. Today the Moscow Zoo is the only one on the territory of the former Soviet Union which has in its collection these rare and valuable antelopes. Moscow animals are listed in the International Stud Book of Black Antelopes and occasionally it is possible to get offspring from them.
The breeding of these antelopes in zoos is associated with a number of difficulties associated with the complexity of their mineral nutrition and behavior. In conditions of a depleted environment, in small enclosures, these animals begin to "get bored" and often become very aggressive towards everyone around them.
Antelopes are fed three times a day. In the morning, the feeders are filled with grass (in winter - with hay). During the day they give chopped vegetables and fruits. In the evening - again grass and branches loved by animals. Antelopes in the zoo are very trusting of the people who care for them, and there have even been cases when females left their cubs to the zoologist to "watch" while they themselves went for a walk to the far end of the enclosure.
8. Slow loris
Found in forests from eastern India to Vietnam, the Malay Peninsula, western Indonesia and the Philippines, these monkeys are critically endangered.
In thick lorises, all fingers are equipped with nails, with the exception of the second toe, which has a "cosmetic" claw, which is used in "grooming" - mutual combing of wool. Unlike real monkeys, lorises do not have a thumb on their hand, and they cannot grab a tree branch with the whole hand.They move on four limbs, clinging to branches or moving along them.Loris are able, having caught an insect on the fly with their hand and firmly holding it in their leg, continue to move further along the branch.
An interesting adaptation for life at high altitude is an unusually strong grip on the arms and legs, which does not weaken throughout the day. This is possible due to the special structure of the blood vessels of the limbs, which provides abundant blood supply and intensive metabolism in the muscles of the limbs during the movement of the animal.
All lorises consume a lot of animal protein in the form of invertebrates, bird eggs, small birds, bats and rodents. The rest of the food consists of plant components: fruits, tree resin (gum), flower nectar. In nature, lorises lead a solitary lifestyle, sleeping in nests during the day, but at night, while feeding, they often meet representatives of their own species.
Slow lorises have lived in the Moscow Zoo since 1980 and successfully breed. Now there are 7 slow lorises in Moscow. They are kept in pairs, sometimes Senegalese galagos live with them. The diet includes fruits (bananas, grapes, papaya, apples, kiwi, pears, peaches), baby daddy cereals, boiled chicken, cottage cheese, quail eggs and live insects, that is, they eat very healthy food.
9. Przewalski's horse
In the 50s of the last century, it became clear that the wild horse was disappearing in nature. At the same time, no more than 20 individuals remained in captivity around the world.
In 1959, the 1st International Symposium on the conservation of the Przewalski horse was held in Prague, where a strategy was developed collective action to save an endangered species. The system of measures gave positive results. According to the international stud book, the world population by 1972 had increased to 200, by 1985 - up to 680 individuals. In the same 1985, it was decided to start looking for places for the return of wild horses to nature. Huge work was carried out, and in 1992 the first horses from the Soviet Union and the Netherlands arrived in Mongolia in the Khustain-Nuru tract. At present, three populations have already been created on the territory of Mongolia. The grandchildren of the first horses released into the wild are already growing up. The total number of free-living Przewalski's horses is close to 300. They, like their wild ancestors, are able to distinguish edible plants from poisonous ones, find watering places, defend themselves from wolves and survive difficult winters and droughts.
The Mongols call the birthplace of the takhi (as these horses have been called since ancient times) the Takhiin-Shara-Nuru ridge ("Yellow Ridge of the Wild Horse"), where the horse was most often encountered. However, this animal has become known to the whole world since 1879, when it was described by the Russian traveler, geographer and naturalist N.M. Przhevalsky, after whom this species is named.
Very little was known about the lifestyle of these horses in nature. At the end of the 19th century, the Russian traveler Grumm-Grzhimailo met these animals several times in the Dzungarian Gobi (Central Asia). He wrote that "a wild horse is an inhabitant of the flat desert, and goes out to graze and drink at night; with the onset of the day, it returns to the desert, where it remains to rest until sunset." More recent studies suggest that the Przewalski's horse has several cycles of wakefulness and rest during the day.
Horses are kept in groups, including one adult male and five to eleven mares with foals. The basis of the nutrition of wild Asian horses in Dzungaria was cereals: feather grass, wheatgrass, fescue, chi, reed. They ate both wormwood, and wild onions, and soft parts of various semi-shrubs. Horses experience particular difficulties in winter, when, after rain or a strong thaw, the air temperature drops sharply, and the ground is covered with a crust of ice (jute). The hooves begin to slip, the horses cannot break through the ice and reach the grass, hunger sets in.
The horses for the Moscow Zoo were caught in the Dzungarian Gobi. The archives of the zoo contain information that wild horses have been kept in Moscow since 1917. During this time, several generations of animals have changed, the zoo is actively involved in the breeding program for wild horses.
Horses are fed twice a day - in the morning and in the evening. Their main food is hay and oats. They also receive potatoes, carrots, beets, twigs, grass, lick salt and a vitamin and mineral premix. The summer diet is 2.5 times more than the winter one. Favorite treat, like all horses - carrots.
10. Pygmy marsupial flying squirrel
Marsupial flying squirrels live in harmony with humans. They are the inhabitants of the forests and do not go to the cities. They are not hunted and only deforestation can reduce their numbers. Now many lovers keep these funny animals at home, as they are easily tamed and quickly become family favorites. The species is common in the forests of Australia, New Guinea and Tasmania, where the animals prefer thickets of eucalyptus.
The animals have a very interesting feature: in the active state, their body temperature reaches 35-36 C. But during sleep, the animals fall into a stupor, during which the body temperature drops to 11-28 C. A sharp cold snap or lack of food causes a state similar to hibernation , which lasts 2-3 weeks and the temperature drops to 1-6 C.
Common foods in nature are fruits, pollen, and invertebrates. Animals feed at night. Food is almost never dragged into the nest, they are eaten in any position: upside down, sitting on their hind legs or leaning on all four limbs (depending on the location of the food).
Flying squirrels are nocturnal animals, and their activity begins at sunset. True, individual outings of animals are possible during the daylight hours, but they are rarely associated with food and last no more than an hour. The animals are very mobile, easily climb trees both upside down and upside down. They can hang for a long time, holding on to branches only with their hind legs. Flying squirrels have an amazing ability - gliding flight. They have a special device - a flying membrane that stretches from the front limb to the ankle joint of the hind leg. Thus, animals can cover distances up to 60 meters!
In the Moscow Zoo, pygmy marsupial flying squirrels appeared in 2000. They brought to the veterinary department of the Moscow Zoo little animal caught on the balcony of a residential building in Moscow. It turned out that the flying squirrel glided onto the balcony to feast on the cut watermelon standing there. The tenants of the apartment noticed her, caught her and brought her to the zoo. Veterinarians have determined that the animal is healthy and can live in the zoo's collection. In the same year, another pair was received marsupial flying squirrels from the Paraguayan Zoo, and the first family group was created, which began to breed successfully.
Zoos can be treated differently. Some believe that communication with animals is the most positive and interesting pastime, others call the zoo a prison with a life sentence without trial or investigation. Another important goal of zoos is the conservation and restoration of endangered species.
We will not touch on the scientific or moral side of this issue, but simply look at how animals live in the zoo at the beginning of 2013.
Newborn
A baby gorilla with its mother at the zoo in Prague. He was born at the very end of December 2012.
The famous Soviet zoologist Igor Akimushkin claimed that the growth of the largest male mountain gorilla killed by hunters at the beginning of the 20th century was 2 m 32 cm. The shoulder width of a male gorilla is about a meter. The mass of males is on average 135–250 kg or more. (Photo by Petr David Josek | AP):
She was pulled out of her beloved mud for inventory at the London Zoo on January 3, 2013. (Photo by Kirsty Wigglesworth | AP):
land giants
Two 42-year-old elephants from a zoo in Lyon, France, suffering from tuberculosis, on January 7, 2013. They were even planned to be euthanized, but the well-known animal rights activist, French singer, film actress Brigitte Bardot intervened, who threatened to join Gerard Depardieu if the elephants were euthanized and ask for Russian citizenship. (A photo):
The annual inventory at the London Zoo continues. Next in line is the Mexican red-legged tarantula, January 3, 2013. (Photo by Kirsty Wigglesworth | AP):
Wrong data
Meerkat dissatisfied with his data during the census at the London Zoo, January 3, 2013. This species of mammal from the mongoose family is common in South Africa. On a warm day, they like to bask in the sun, taking the most bizarre poses. And of course they can stand on their hind legs for a long time. (Photo by Kirsty Wigglesworth | AP):
Sonchas
Unsociable pelicans
White pelicans at the zoo in Frankfurt, central Germany on January 28, 2013. (Photo by Nicolas Armer | AP):
Big and striped
The tiger is the largest modern cat at Leipzig Zoo, Germany on January 27, 2013. (Photo by Ingrid Eulenfan):
Tamarins are a genus of monkeys from the marmoset family. Most species usually have long "whiskers". At the zoo in Duisburg, Germany, January 11, 2013. (Photo by Frank Augstein | AP):
An ordinary boa constrictor with the name (or nickname, as you like) Charlotte. Age - 13 years, length - 2.99 meters. Zoo in Duisburg, Germany, Friday, January 11, 2013. In the wild, boas are much larger - 5-5.5 meters. (Photo by Frank Augstein | AP):
Clumsy
Meditation
Sea lion from the zoo in the city of Neunkirchen, Germany, January 9, 2013. (Photo by Michael Gottschalk | AP):
Bliss
What could be better for polar bear than to roll in the snow? Zoo in Alaska. (Photo by Anchorage Daily News | Marc):
Handsome
An African burrowing frog during an inventory at the zoo in Dresden, January 9, 2013. (Photo by Jens Meyer | AP):
Japanese sticks
Pink pelican at dinner at the zoo in Dresden, January 2, 2013. The popular Russian name is baba-babura, baba-bird. It is listed in the Red Book of Russia as an endangered species. (Photo by Matthias Rietschel | AP):
"Forest People"
The orangutan is called the "forest man" (orang - " man", hutan - "forest"). These monkeys are ranked 3rd among Animal Planet. At the Frankfurt Zoo. (Photo by Alex Domanski | AP):
The ability to change the color and pattern of the body, characteristic of all chameleons, is widely known. The change in color is associated with the structural features of the skin. The color of chameleons can quickly change from light - whitish and orange, through yellow and green to purple, and then completely black or dark brown. The second distinguishing feature of chameleons is their eyes, which can rotate 180° independently of each other.
The oldest known chameleon was found in Europe (the find is about 26 million years old). However, chameleons are probably much older than this one (findings over 100 million years ago). Zurich Zoo, Switzerland, January 5, 2013. (Photo by MiriamW77):
Future king of beasts
2 week old African lion cub. While more like a cat than the king of beasts. Zoo in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Peter Komka | AP):
hot baths
Japanese macaques at the zoo in Seoul South Korea, January 9, 2013. You can find out why they climbed into hot water in the article. (Photo by Lee Jin-man | AP):
mouth wider
A polar bear eats chicken at a zoo in Seoul, South Korea, January 9, 2013. (Photo by Lee Jin-man | AP)
Jaguars
Two newly born jaguars at a zoo in Milwaukee, USA. Jaguars are very large cats. This is the third largest in the world, and the largest representative of the cat family in the New World. (Photo by Milwaukee County Zoo | AP):
What are you looking at?
Lowland gorillas in a park in Rwanda, East Africa on January 23, 2013. (Photo by Northwest Florida Daily News | Devon Ravi):
This large bird of prey of the hawk family, inhabiting the territory North America, is one of national symbols USA. Zoo in Illinois, January 8, 2013. (Photo by The Pantagraph | David Proeber):
hid
Master Class
A polar bear shows a swimming class in the pool at the Copenhagen Zoo on January 22, 2013. (Photo by Bidstrup Stine | AP).
