At the end of August, “Zambezi River” will open in Kazan

(KZN.RU, June 17, Ksenia Shvetsova). In late August, an exposition of African animals “Zambezi River”, created as part of the first stage of the reconstruction of the Zoo, will open in Kazan. The first inhabitants of the new part of the Zoo have already been brought to the capital of Tatarstan. Hamadryas, ostriches, panther turtles, Brazza monkeys, meerkats, damans, wilds, lions, blue wildebeest and others are among them. The purchase and transportation of each animal, as well as the creation of conditions for their life,  were associated with a huge number of requirements. “We directly went into such difficulties so that the Zoo received as many visitors as possible”, Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, said today at the Business Monday. He thanked the patrons who donated 114 million rubles to the Zoo for buying animals.

The construction of the first stage of the Kazan Zoo “Zambezi River” started in 2015. Fanis Nurmukhametov, the director of the Kazan Zoo, said that all the rooms and the exterior of the exhibits are designed in the African style and create the spirit of this continent.

The exposition “Zambezi River” will consist of 34 species of animals. “The selection of the composition of animals was carried out based on the experience of the leading zoos of the world. We gave preference to the most spectacular species for visitors”, said F. Nurmukhametov. “The choice of African animals was made due to the presence of large exotic animals in the African fauna: elephants, giraffes, rhinos, gorillas, chimpanzees, lions, cheetahs. They are of the greatest interest to the citizens”.

Some animals (rhinos, giraffes, chimpanzees, gorillas, large foxes, lemurs, cheetahs) will be transferred to the Zoo only after reviewing ready-made aviaries by coordinators of programs for breeding rare animals.

Kazan will be the first city in Russia to create an African animal exhibit at the Zoo, said Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan. “We intentionally went into such difficulties so that the Zoo could receive as many visitors as possible”, said the Mayor. He added that it was very difficult to implement such a project. “We could not have imagined how difficult it is. We have worked with the appraisal commissions of various events, forums, competitions, congresses, and we know that there are requirements. But there is a society of protection for each individual species of animals. They are professionals, they do not obey anyone and nothing but common sense and a desire to protect animals. And this is right. We did not encounter such requirements. No one in Russia has any experience in designing zoos with African animals, and therefore a lot of questions have arisen. But we can now say that we have overcome them”.

The bringing animals from the African fauna will be carried out gradually. 41% of the animals are already delivered in the capital of Tatarstan. Hamadryas, ostriches, panther turtles, Brazza monkeys, meerkats, damans, wilds, lions, blue wildebeest and others are among them. Now they are located in the enclosures on the existing territory. In September-October, another 26% of animals are expected to arrive: marabou, flamingos, griffon vultures, crowned cranes, kaffir crow, Egyptian heron, zebras, cheetahs and lemurs. The settlement of inhabitants of the African part of the Zoo is planned to be completed by the end of 2021.

“This is a science, there are a number of provisions that regulate this work. There is a phased approach in this process. It is also clearly regulated: which animals are imported first, whose sounds disturb the arrival of the second batch, and so on”, said the Mayor. “By the end of October, we will bring about another 25-26% of animals. In total, almost 70% of animals will be here, we work on it. We will do this gradually, with maximum trepidation and protecting the animals, their mental health. It is necessary that they come almost to their native environment. We are working very hard on this now”.

Many animals for the Kazan Zoo were acquired by patrons of the program “Friend of the Zoo”. “This form of patronage is popular worldwide both among large companies and individuals”, noted F. Nurmukhametov. “Assistance can be provided in different forms: keeping the selected animal on an ongoing basis, donating to a specific program in the zoo activities”. In Kazan, 33 enterprises became sponsors of the acquisition of 167 animals.

The Mayor thanked the patrons for participation in the program. “114 million rubles raised for the purchase of African animals is a huge amount!” said I. Metshin. “Thanks to everyone who supported the project”.

“The last animals of the African exposition will be delivered by 2021. But I am sure that already in such state, the “Zambezi River” will become a favorite place for residents and guests of the city, especially for children”, said the Mayor.