Tbilisi Zoo to receive new lodgers
By Tatia Megeneishvili
Thursday, May 5
Tbilisi Zoo will receive more than 100 new lodgers before the end of the May. The information was confirmed by the Director of the Tbilisi Zoo Zurab Gurielidze.
According to Gurielidze, Tbilisi Zoo has already received seven animals from Riga Zoo.
“Beside those seven, we will receive over 100 animals from different European zoos. Among them will be thoose which we never had in Tbilisi Zoo before, such as an antelope gnu and two different breeds of monkeys,” stated Gurielidze.
Gurielidze stated that open air and closed cages are already ready for the new residents.
“The cages on the territory which were destroyed during last year’s natural disaster are still under construction, but will be finalized before our new residents arrive,” stated Gurielidze.
Tbilisi Zoo, which also is the country’s only zoological park, was almost fully destroyed during the June 13 2015 natural disaster, which also killed most of the animals.
The restoration process started soon after the disaster and took almost a year.
However, according to officials, use of the existing zoo is only a temporary measure. The Mayor’s Office of Tbilisi plans to build a new Zoo near Tbilisi Sea (Tbilisi Reservoir).
Deputy Director of the Tbilisi Zoo Davit Taktakishvili, confirmed the information.
"The new zoo is planned to be much bigger than the existing one. About 47 hectares of territory have been allocated. New cages will meet all European and American standards," said Taktakishvili.
The flash flood resulted in the death of 19 individuals and caused approximately 100 million GEL in damage.
