When traveling around Ukraine, you should definitely visit the city zoo of Nikolaev. This is one of the oldest such menageries. The Nikolaev Zoo is considered one of the best in Europe and is a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA). Ukraine is especially proud of this.
How does it work and where is it located?
He works every day. It is available as the organization of group excursions, as well as just a walk with the family or alone. You should definitely visit the Nikolaev Zoo. Its address: Nikolaev, Nikolai Leontovich Square, 1.
Beautiful place
Zoo is the pride of the city of Nikolaev. In addition to the fact that you can walk along it, walking along beautiful alleys and looking at the animal world, it is rich in all kinds of monuments of extraordinary beauty, as well as benches in the form of all kinds of animals. You can take interesting photos near the Ukrainian poultry yard, where a cart stands near a painted hut. Or you can visit the Indian wigwam, trying on their national clothes and hats.
Children will be interested in jumping on the trampoline, and attractions are provided for them. And adults can sit in a cafe, try delicious ice cream. The prices here, of course, are exorbitantly high - two or even three times higher,than in ordinary stores in the city.
Zoo (Nikolaev): ticket prices and opening hours
As for the prices for the entrance to this miracle of Nikolaev, they are low for such a great pastime. The cost of a ticket to the Nikolaev Zoo for an adult will be fifty hryvnia, for children of school age it will cost 30 hryvnia, but preschoolers are allowed to enter the territory free of charge. In summer, the time for visiting the zoo is set to 18 hours, in winter it is an hour shorter - to 17.
Description
The total area of the zoo is 18.48 hectares. In one year it is visited by more than 200 thousand people. There are 475 species and 6029 animals in the zoo's collection.
How to get to the zoo?
You can get to the zoo of Nikolaev by public transport. To do this, take a trolleybus number 2 or a tram number 6, 7. From the railway station you can take the minibus number 8, 21, 88 to the stop "Bus Station".
Entertainment
Nikolaev Zoo (Nikolaev) is very comfortable and for the whole family to have a great time. There are several cafes, a playground is provided for children, you can ride a pony or go to a photo studio and take a photo for memory. There is a tour engine, two terrariums with various inhabitants, a magnificent butterfly garden, an aquarium filled with all kinds of fish, and much more.
Zoo history
Nikolaev Zoo is a historical place. Its history begins in 1901. It is this dateconsidered the date of its foundation. The person who created it is the then head of state Nikolai Pavlovich Leontovich. At first, he was the owner of a private aquarium, which was located at his home and was equipped at that time with the latest technology, the most modern equipment. In his collection there were more than 50 species of different fish. After some time, the aquarium became available to a wide range of people.
After the Civil War, the aquarium suffered many losses and had to be rebuilt. The second grand opening took place on June 25, 1922. This year it was visited by about forty thousand people. Now it began to have the name "Gosakvarium". It was free to visit.
Since 1925, a zoological garden has appeared at the State Aquarium. It has acquired a new name. From now on, it began to be referred to as an aquarium-zoo. Various animals were brought from other countries, such as camels, ostriches, bison, yaks and others. Bears, wolves, foxes and monkeys were brought to the zoo specifically for the purpose of settling animals. Now the area has been increased to 0.75 hectares. There are cages for predators, and enclosures for ungulates.
Currently, there are about three thousand exhibits in the aquarium. It is divided into several parts. Representatives of lakes and seas from all over the planet are gathered here: from the tiniest to huge fish.
Nikolaev Zoo. Photo and description of animals
This zoo is one of the best in the world. It has a huge collectionall kinds of animals.
Every year, in order to improve the territory of the Nikolaev Zoo, a rather large amount of money and effort is spent, but it gives results.
Today, the zoo in Nikolaev can be called planet Earth in miniature, where various species are collected animals, both wild and domestic. There are also feathered representatives of the fauna: from miniature hummingbirds to huge eagles, parrots, cockatoos, cranes and various other birds. There is a collection of monkeys of different breeds - they will definitely entertain visitors. There are also frightening crocodiles, terrible wolves, clubfoot bears, foxes, bulls, boas, bison, deer and the like.
Where are the fauna?
Starting clockwise from the entrance, you can get to the part of the zoo inhabited by all kinds of birds. In hot weather, they are difficult to find in the trees. Near each enclosure there are signs with the name of the animal and its brief description. The information is written in three languages: Ukrainian, Russian and English. It is certainly very convenient for tourists. The schematic map shows the habitat of each animal.
A great variety of birds have been brought to the Nikolaev zoo, ranging from various parrots to mighty eagles and other formidable birds. If you are lucky, you can get to the feeding of the inhabitants and see how the vulture eats its portion.
Going further you can meet deer. Some zoos allow them to be fed.or even go into the enclosures, but this is not allowed here. Moreover, it is forbidden to feed the animals in the entire zoo. But despite this, many still manage to feed them.
Then an ostrich is encountered. By the way, he is capable of reaching a weight of one hundred and fifty kilograms, and his height can be up to three meters.
It is worth noting that the Nikolaev Zoo is equipped with various banners with information about animals. There are small descriptions of specific animals, and there are large billboards with general information.
What can you see by visiting the Nikolaev Zoo? Animals, of course, delight the eye of every person. Large representatives of the fauna won particular popularity among visitors: lions, tigers, bears, hippos. The oldest animal lives in the zoo - a 65-year-old crocodile, who was named Vasya. Children are amused by monkeys, chimpanzees, and adults are entertained by funny animals meerkats, for which a separate enclosure called "Meerkat Estate" was specially built. Absolutely at any time of the year, you can get a lot of impressions by going to the butterfly garden. There are many species, from the simplest to the tropical.
Grandfather's House
For pets, the aviary is decorated in folklore style and is called "Grandfather's House". It is a kind of museum of rural life in the south of Ukraine. The zoo has its own anthem, flag, emblem, commemorative coin and postage stamp.
Indoors there is a terrarium and an aquarium. The lighting there is too bad. Visitors can't always see the residents. Butthe light should be dimmed, this is one of the conditions for the inhabitants to live.
Advantages and disadvantages
But despite the fact that the zoo has many positive aspects, there is one most noticeable disadvantage - the location of the residents themselves. The fact is that the enclosures and paths on the territory are located in such a way that it is rather difficult to find or see someone. It's all very confusing. Of course, the zoo administration posted a huge map at the entrance, where you can see the habitats of various animals. However, not everyone can remember their location.
Because of this, some people do not find certain animals. Although at any time, workers can be asked where the housing of a certain representative of the fauna is located.
Small conclusion
Thus, the Nikolaev Zoo is one of those places that you should definitely visit. Here, both adults and children will find entertainment for themselves, everyone is guaranteed to receive, of course, the maximum of positive impressions and emotions. Here you can get different knowledge about all kinds of animals: from fish and reptiles to huge predators. Therefore, choosing Ukraine as a travel destination, you should definitely stop by the city of Nikolaev to see one of the oldest zoos, which bears the title of one of the best in the world.