Moscow Zoo 154 years

• Moscow Zoo 154 years

February 12, 1864 Imperial Russian Society of acclimatization of animals and plants found in Moscow zoo. Initiator base zoo Russian zoologist Anatoly Bogdanov, called him "a living museum in the open air." Moscow Zoo - one of the oldest zoos in Europe.

The area is now the oldest part of the zoo, called the Presnensky ponds - there is the river Presnya, on the adjacent meadows and gardens loved walking Muscovites. It is believed that this site chosen for the zoo, because he was at a distance accessible to all Muscovites.

At the opening of the zoo visitors can see 134 copies pets, 153 copies of wild animals and birds and reptiles, seven copies. Animals were mainly from those that are found in Russia, but there were exotic animals - a pair of lions, two tigers, jaguars, leopard, rhino and alligator.

The main entrance, 1920. Photo: archive of the Moscow Zoo.

Many zoo animals were given all sorts of important personalities. Indian elephant, for example, presented the Tsar Alexander II, and zebra - Egyptian ruler Ismail Pasha.

A general view of the zoo, 1860. Photo: archive of the Moscow Zoo.

After the revolution, the zoo was nationalized and in 1927 it was renamed the zoo.

The elephant donated by Emperor Alexander II of, 1870. Photo: archive of the Moscow Zoo. Zoo worked during World War II, from 1941 to 1945 it was visited by more than six million people. Many zoo staff took care of the animals, even when the bombs fell on the park: stop up the broken windows with blankets, comforting frightened animals. Zoo website says that some spouses Zakusillo stayed with animals, even when they saw that their house caught fire on impact firebomb.

Pond with boat station, the end of the XIX century. Photo: archive of the Moscow Zoo.

In the 70s and 80s due to problems with financing the zoo began to deteriorate. At the zoo website explains that "from the cage on the second floor of the frog fell on the heads of people living on the first floor of the tigers."

Safecracker, 1912. Photo: archive of the Moscow Zoo.

In the 90s the situation changed, the reconstruction of the zoo, brought back a lot of new animals. The reconstruction has not been completed, and now plans to build an aquarium, terrarium, educational center, Animal Theater and the Dolphinarium.

Sunken Gardens, 1913. Photo: archive of the Moscow Zoo.

Today, the zoo hosts many different excursions - among them, for example, a tour of the animals, which no one likes (crows, cockroach, polecat), and night tours. Circle operates a young biologist and circle "Manulyata" for smaller children. Selecting an animal, and concluded an agreement on the charitable help, you can become a guardian.