Moscow Zoo Celebrates 150th Anniversary

The Moscow Zoo is celebrating its 150th anniversary; it was founded on February 12, 1864. The main festivities commemorating this event were postponed until mid-September, giving Muscovites a chance to return from their summer vacations. The event took place last weekend, on September 13 and 14.
Above: A cheetah at the Moscow Zoo. The first cheetah kitten was born at the Moscow Zoo in 1980. Most of the cheetah kittens were moved to other zoos to prevent them from interbreeding.

The Moscow Zoo opened in 1864 by imperial decree under Emperor Alexander II. It was established in a city park which was home to the Presnenskiye Ponds. It had 286 animals representing mostly Russian fauna: bears, wolves, foxes, badgers, polecats, squirrels, cranes etc.
Above: A fox at the Moscow Zoo.

However, some exotic animals were among the first to reside at the Moscow Zoo, including two lions, two tigers, a jaguar, a leopard, a rhinoceros and an alligator.
Above: An Sumatran orangutan is looking at visitors through the glass. The orangutans have been kept at the Moscow Zoo since the 1960s. In 1985, work was begun on breeding orangutans. These primates are highly intelligent; in their choice of a future partner, orangutans are guided by their own likes and dislikes, complicating the process of mating couples.

The Moscow Zoo was the first public zoo in the Russian Empire, and now it is one of the largest zoos in the world.
Above: A raccoon at the Moscow Zoo. Raccoons were first brought to the zoo in 1999 from California. Photos of raccoons enjoy wide popularity because of its poses, which often resemble those of humans.

The Moscow Zoo has survived revolutions and wars. It was nationalized in 1919. The staff helped the animals to survive through the hard times of World War II. They attempted to keep animals warm and brought blankets from their homes to cover the enclosures' broken windows.
Above: A cougar at the Moscow Zoo. The cougar is the second heaviest cat in America, after the jaguar.

In 1926, the Moscow Zoo increased its area to 18 hectares. Now the old and new sections of the zoo are connected via a footbridge.
Above: An ounce at the Moscow Zoo. The first ounce was presented to the Moscow Zoo in 1901. Ounces live deep in the mountains and suffer from the summer heat in Moscow.

The reconstruction of the Moscow Zoo started in the 1990s. During the reconstruction, 50 new sites were built. Now the Moscow Zoo meets world standards.
Above: Children stroke a camel at the Moscow Zoo.

The Moscow Zoo holds children's festivals every spring and summer. Older children and adults can volunteer at the Moscow Zoo. The main task of the volunteer program is to prevent visitors from feeding the animals, because it may cause them digestive problems.
Above: A girl near a horse enclosure at the Moscow Zoo.

Today the Moscow Zoo is home to 1,150 species of animals.
Above: A dhole at the Moscow Zoo.