Almost 200 young were born to the inhabitants of the Moscow Zoo in half a year

About 200 baby animals were born — or hatched — in Moscow Zoo in the first half of 2025. Most of them are rare and endangered species. The new arrivals include baby Sichuan takins, a Madagascan boa constrictor, a prehensile-tailed skink and a pancake tortoise.

Among many other new arrivals, a baby capybara and a baby plains gorilla and two alpacas have been born, and five Humboldt penguins have hatched.

“There are now more than 15,000 individuals in the zoo, and the number of animals is constantly increasing. In addition to the new babies, there are those brought in from other habitats. Since the beginning of this year alone the capital’s specialists have accepted more than 100 such animals,” said Deputy Mayor of Moscow Natalia Sergunina.

The new feathered residents include curlew pelicans, glossy ibises and Barrow’s goldeneye ducks. Among the new arrivals were vultures, the first to be seen in Moscow’s zoo for more than 50 years. In addition, the zoo has added snakes, geckos and two bearded seals.

Frequently, rescued animals fall under the care of Moscow Zoo specialists. For example, in March, a male puma named Hercules was brought here. The predator was seized from a Moscow resident who had kept it in a cramped apartment in the Kuntsevo neighborhood for several years.

In the fall of last year, a unique opportunity to watch livestreams of the zoo’s inhabitants appeared on the capital’s mos.ru portal. 71 cameras have been installed in 21 enclosures, to monitor the pandas, Pallas’ cat, honey badgers, elephants, capybaras, pygmy hippopotamus, gorillas, orangutan family, meerkats, bobcats and other animals. The videos are available every day, with online livestreaming from 07:30 to 22:00 during the summer. At night, everyone can watch the repeats of the daytime livestreams.