Tbilisi Zoo

Coordinates: 41°42′47″N 44°46′37″E / 41.713°N 44.777°E / 41.713; 44.777
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Tbilisi Zoo
Vere River valley, central Tbilisi
Land area120 hectares (300 acres)
No. of species300
An aquarium at the Tbilisi Zoo.

The Tbilisi Zoological Park (

Vere River valley in central Tbilisi. The zoo was heavily affected by a flood on 14 June 2015, leaving many of its inhabitants dead or on the loose. Prior to that, the zoo occupied the area of approximately 120 hectares and was populated by around 300 species, native to the Caucasus
as well as other regions of the world.

History

The Tbilisi Zoo was established by the decision of the

World Society for the Protection of Animals representative, Neil Trent, reported in 1993 that more than half of the animals at the zoo had died of starvation or cold since 1991.[2]

For nearly fifty years until 2013, one of the attractions of the zoo was a photo studio run by the photographer, Victor Sukiasov, who created papier-mâché horses for children to sit on for their picture to be taken.[3]

The Zoo experienced a modest revival in the late 2000s. A marine aquarium, the first such establishment in the

Tbilisi Sea, a large reservoir at the eastern outskirts of Tbilisi. A project developed by the Australia-based architecture firm Hassell was to include "an entrance hub, boulevard, a secondary hub with playground and café, inner zoo and an outer open range zoo as well as woodland areas."[4] Due to the lack of funds, the relocation was delayed and the zoo remained at its old location,[5] when, on 14 June 2015, the swollen Vere river flooded the zoo. Several of its inhabitants died, while many surviving animals, such as a hippopotamus, lions, tigers, bears, and wolves, escaped to the streets of Tbilisi. Some animals were recaptured but several were shot by emergency forces. In total, the zoo lost nearly half of its inhabitants, as well as three keepers who lived onsite. The Current Director of the Tbilisi Zoo is Zurab Gurielidze

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "About the Zoo" (in Georgian). Tbilisi Zoo. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  2. ^ Rowell, Alexis (8 December 1993). "In Tbilisi Zoo, Mass Starvation". The Moscow Times. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  3. ^ Skangale, Vija (6 August 2020). "Watch the birdie: how a papier-mâché horse in Tbilisi Zoo grew into a popular photo studio". The Calvert Journal. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  4. ^ "HASSELL to design concept for Tbilisi Zoo". Landscape Institute. 4 July 2012. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  5. ^ "Tbilisi Flood Fiasco: Who's to Blame?". Georgia Today. 14 June 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2015.

External links

41°42′47″N 44°46′37″E / 41.713°N 44.777°E / 41.713; 44.777