Moscow Zoo Rescues Nearly 100 Animals Since the Beginning of the Year

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin announced on his Telegram channel that the Moscow Zoo has rescued around 100 animals this year, including rare and endangered species. He shared that some of the new residents arrive with injuries or in weakened conditions.

Among the rescued animals are Asian elephants Pamir and Pipita, an Amur tiger named Tikhon, who approached humans due to a declining food source, and a Far Eastern leopard named Elbrus, who was struck by a car. Bats are regularly brought to the rehabilitation center, with over 600 rescued since last autumn.

Moscow participates in more than 20 programs for nature conservation, including those aimed at protecting rare and endangered animal species. The zoo plays a significant role in this effort. In May, two fishing owls arrived at the breeding center for rare species; there are only about 300-400 pairs of these owls in Russia. Staff hope to establish an artificial population of this endangered bird species.

Every year, the center sees the birth of fast-moving gazelles called jeyrans. This year, eight fawns were born, and they are currently housed in a spacious enclosure with their mothers and older siblings.

Additionally, the zoo recently welcomed its first hatchling from the Crimean population of the leopard snake, which is considered the rarest in the world.