Moscow Zoo

The Moscow Zoo or Moskovsky Zoopark (Russian: Московский зоопарк) is a 21.5-hectare (53-acre) zoo founded in 1864 by professor-biologists, K.F. Rulje, S.A. Usov and A.P. Bogdanov, from the Moscow State University. In 1919, the zoo was nationalized. In 1922, the ownership was transferred to the Government of Moscow and has remained under Moscow's control ever since.

Moscow Zoo
The Moscow Zoo entrance.
Date opened31 January 1864 (1864-01-31)[1]
LocationMoscow, Russia
Coordinates55°45′43″N 37°34′38″E
Land area21.5 ha (53 acres)
No. of animals8,270
No. of species972
MembershipsEARAZA,[2] EAZA,[3] WAZA[4]
Public transit access Barrikadnaya
Krasnopresnenskaya
Websitehttp://moscowzoo.su/

The zoo had an area of 10 hectares (25 acres) when it first opened, with 286 animals. In 1926, the zoo was expanded to adjacent lands, increasing the area to 18 hectares (44 acres). The zoo's original buildings were wooden, built in the old Russian style with intricate wood trims.

In 1990, the zoo was renovated. Notable additions include a new main entrance in the shape of a large rock castle, and a footbridge that connected the old (1864) and new (1926) properties of the zoo. Prior to construction of the footbridge, the zoo operated as two 'separate zoos' because the Bolshaya Gruzinskaya Street divides the properties.

In addition, the zoo was expanded once more. New exhibits were opened including a sea aquarium, an aviary, a creatures of the night exhibit, a sea lion exhibit and a section aimed at children. Waterfalls and streams were added throughout to give the zoo a more natural feeling.

Reticulated giraffe at Moscow Zoo.

The Moscow zoo has over 7,500 animals representing about 1,000 species and covers an area of about 21.5 hectares (53 acres).[5] The zoo studies animal's behavior, feeding and reproduction, and breeds rare endangered species.

Some of the species at the zoo are:

Notes
  1. "Moscow Zoo (Moscow)". worldwalk.info. WorldWalk.info. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
  2. "Zoo Sites". earaza.ru. EARAZA. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
  3. "EAZA Member Zoos & Aquariums". eaza.net. EAZA. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
  4. "Zoos and Aquariums of the World". waza.org. WAZA. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
  5. http://www.museum.ru/M499

Sources
  • Vera Chaplina True Stories from the Moscow Zoo (1970) Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey; Prentice-Hall, Inc. P. 152 (translated by Lila Pargment, Estel Titiev).
  • Egorova, L. V., ed. (2004). The Moscow Zoo: History and 140th anniversary (Московский зоологический парк. К 140-летию со дня основания. Страницы истории). Moscow: Ellis Luck 2000. ISBN 978-5-902152-16-3. (in Russian)
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