More than 1 000 ducks are in open-air cages of the Zoo
Some interesting facts about the amazing animals in the Moscow Zoo
Chinchilla
Do you know a tiny animal – chinchilla? In the 20th century these animals were faced with extinction because of their chinchilla fur. Fortunately Now the situation is better.
The chinchilla fur is popular due to its soft feel because about 60 hairs from each hair follicle this animal has. You can see chinchillas in the Moscow Zoo.
Morpho Peleides
In the Zoo there are beautiful butterflies Morpho peleides. The wings of these butterflies have no color, but they refract the light. The South American Indians name these butterflies “part of the sky fallen from heaven”.
Far Eastern Leopard
An Interesting fact: the Far Eastern leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) is the rarest surviving subspecies of leopard. Unfortunately at present in the world there are not more than 25 animals in wild nature. In the Moscow Zoo, you can see these beautiful animals. They are taken good care of in the Zoo.
Zebras
Paradox: Zebras with their black and white stripes in the African savanna are completely invisible. This “zebra crossing” is zebras camouflage from predators.
White Tiger
It is interesting that any female tiger with the normal coloration can give birth to a white tiger! But such beautiful babies are very visible in wild nature and these tigers cannot hunt. White tigers are in captivity at the Moscow Zoo.
White Bear
The largest predator on earth is a White Bear or a Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus). A boar (adult male) can weigh 800 kg. He is a famous hunter for seals. Polar Bear fur consists of white guard hairs – that is why a polar bear has another name “white bear”. The skin color of the polar bear is very dark, almost black, to keep warm. But the skin under guard hairs is not visible. The Moscow Zoo is a home for some polar bears too.
Brown Bears
As for Brown Bears – these bears are mostly solitary. They need to have their own vast territory. But in winter bears are sleeping in their dens to survive, as there is no food for them in this season. And dens of bears may be very close from each other. During hibernation, the Brown Bears are friendly.
Useful Information
That is more in the Zoo you can watch the feeding of different animals. You can even practice your Russian You can ask the keepers any question about animals.
A feeding timetable is possible to find at the ticket offices and this info is called over the loudspeakers in the Zoo as well.
The Zoo is located in the center of Moscow near the metro stations : “Krasnopresnenskaya” and “Barrikadnaya” close to a skyscraper
ATTENTION!
When you visit the Zoo, do not feed the animals! It is banned in the Zoo!
Visit the Zoo for sure! Your excursion will take you about 3 hours. Take some pictures as well!
Welcome to Moscow Zoo!
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In the article some info is taken from the official site of the Moscow Zoo.
To discover Russia with Alexey Gureev
The comments about the white tiger are inaccurate. It is not true that any female tiger with normal coloration can give birth to a white tiger cub. Only a tiger which carries the recessive white gene can become the parent of a white tiger. It is also false that white tigers couldn’t hunt in the wild. The last white tiger seen in the wild was shot in 1958, but before that white tigers bred white for generations in the wild, and one white tiger was observed with two white tiger cubs, showing that they survived and reproduced in the wild. The white gene is an inhibitor gene which switches off the genes responsible for the production of orange pigmentation. The Maharaja of Rewa captured a white tiger in 1951 and started breeding them in captivity, selling them to zoos in New Delhi, Calcutta, Washington DC, Miami, and Bristol, England. The white tigers in Moscow Zoo are most likely descended from the one captured in 1951 and from animals bred in Washington DC. The one captured in 1969 died in Govindgarh Lake Palace in the former princely state of Rewa in central India.