Odessa Zoo
Odessa Zoo
Ukraine, Odesa
Odessa Zoo was opened to visitors in 1938. It is located in the city center, next to the famous Odessa market "Privoz".
The idea of creating a zoo in Odessa arose in 1889, when a drawing and plan of the Menagerie on Police Street near the cliff was made, but this plan could not be realized. The next step towards the creation of the zoo was taken in 1914 - a project was created for its construction on the territory of the botanical garden, approved by the City Duma, but the outbreak of the 1st World War and then the Civil War prevented these plans. It was only in 1922 that the construction of a zoo in Odessa began on Primorsky Boulevard, in the area of the lower garden of the Vorontsov Palace. The main merit in organizing the first zoo in Odessa belongs to one of the leaders of the Yugoklimat society, Heinrich Vladimirovich Beizert. Despite the great work done. This is both insufficient funding and, in fact, an unsuitable area for a satisfactory placement of animals. The city authorities decided to close the zoo.
In December 1927, an all-Union competition was announced for the design of a zoo in Odessa. Three projects were accepted at once as the basis for the construction of the future zoo. The construction of the zoo along the Arcadian road began in 1929. The city authorities planned to put part of the zoo into operation during 1930. The Yugoclimat Society had already assembled a collection of animals for the future zoo. But this project was not implemented either. Only the surviving name of the adjacent street, Zooparkovaya, reminds of it. Despite all the difficulties, G.V. Beizert continued to work tirelessly. In 1933, he was entrusted with the leadership of the department of the 4th state menagerie on Privoz. The institution itself belonged to the State Circus, which for several years placed its menagerie in the city garden, and then on the territory of Privoz.
At this time in Odessa, by decision of the city authorities, the 1st Christian cemetery was liquidated. In the late 30s, Ilyich Park and a zoo appeared on the territory of the former cemetery. However, the only archival document confirming the opening of the zoo in a new location on the street. Novoshchepnaya Ryad, 25 was the report of the director of the zoo G. Beizert at the executive committee of the Ilyichevsk District Council of Workers on March 16, 1945, in which he reported that "Odessa Zoo was organized on the territory of Ilyichevsk Park in 1937", and without budget allocations, and "worked self-supporting."
In 1992, in accordance with the Law of Ukraine, the zoo received the status of a protected area of national importance and became part of the natural reserve fund of Ukraine.
The Odessa Zoo contains rare animals listed in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the European Red List and the Red Book of Ukraine - more than 60 species in total. Many of them reproduce successfully. These are the famous Indian elephants, Far Eastern leopards, Przewalski's horses, Turkmen kulans, European mouflons, hamadryas baboons, brown bears, steppe cranes, saker falcons, eagle owls and many others. others
The collection of animals of the Odessa Zoo includes 243 species of animals and totals 1590 specimens. Among them, 93 species of fish, 7 species of amphibians, 37 species of reptiles, 73 species of birds, 33 species of mammals.
Scientific specialization of the zoo: "Rare and endangered animals of the south of Ukraine". The zoo has created the only nursery in Ukraine for the maintenance and breeding of birds of prey and owls. Individuals grown in the nursery are returned to nature by replanting in the nests of wild birds.
Odessa Zoo is the only one in Ukraine where Indian elephants successfully breed. In 1992 the first baby elephant was born. The kid was named Sim Elephant, he is known as Fantik and became an artist of the European circus tent. Raised artificially by his adoptive mother - the head of the section of carnivores and proboscis animals L. N. Popova. In July 1998, an elephant girl weighing about 90 kg was born, she was named Tendy, now she lives in the Kharkov Zoo and loves to eat the Christmas trees that they give her for the New Year - photo. October 17, 2004 was born the third baby elephant, who was named Duke.
For 2 years in a row, offspring of rare animals - Amur leopards or leopards in Russian - are born in the Odessa Zoo. Black Amur leopard kittens Yana and Java were born to mother Linda on June 21, 2006.
Odessa Zoo is not only a center for the conservation and breeding of wild animals. Particular attention is paid to the issues of education and environmental education of young people. For children and schoolchildren, the employees of the zoo regularly organize ecological holidays.
