The Moscow Zoo’s online livestreams are now available in English
Mos.ru’s online broadcasts from the Moscow Zoo’s enclosures are now reaching an international audience. For foreign Internet users—from animal lovers to professional zoologists—a special, English-language version of the project has been launched. It will allow everyone who speaks one of the world’s most widely used languages to get to know the zoo’s inhabitants better.
In the special version of the project viewers can watch livestreams from the cages of the giant pandas, Pallas’ cat, pygmy hippopotamus, elephants, capybaras and camelids, as well as the orangutans, gorillas, honey badgers, meerkats and lynxes. In addition, on the pages they can read interesting facts about these animals and see photos of them. The project will be updated and scaled up based on its original, Russian-language version, which is available at zoo.mos.ru.
Visitors to the site can see what the animals are up to every day during the zoo’s opening hours. Until the end of July the zoo is open from 07:30 to 22:00 Moscow time, and from August 1—until 21:00. And while the facility is closed to the public, a recording of the day’s livestream can be viewed on the website. This feature allows visitors to the site to admire the animals at a convenient time, irrespective of time zone differences.
The project is being implemented jointly with the Moscow Department of Information Technologies. Its launch is also a source of valuable experience in the development and application of the capital’s Internet technology capabilities. In addition, the project is of great importance for raising the status and recognizability of the Moscow Zoo in the international arena, and may also affect the development of tourism.
Importance for international cooperation between zoos
The Moscow Zoo is one of the oldest and most respected zoos in the world. Today, over 15,000 animals from more than 1,200 species are kept here, including representatives of many rare and endangered species. Modern technology is opening up new opportunities for the institution, not only in terms of animal care, but also in popularizing its activities.
The English-language version of the Moscow Zoo’s livestream project makes it easier for people from all over the world, from ordinary nature lovers to scientists and other specialists, to observe the lives of the zoo’s inhabitants and learn more about them. The livestreams allow everyone to see how different species of animals are kept, what they do during the day and how they are cared for.
In addition, the daily broadcast demonstrates the transparency of the Moscow Zoo. The project shows that the animals are kept in comfortable conditions and receive quality care, with specialists regularly engaged in the enrichment of their habitats. This is especially important for such iconic and rare animals as the giant pandas, which are the most viewed animals in the livestreams available on zoo.mos.ru.
The Moscow Zoo received the giant pandas from China as part of an international program to conserve the species. Specialists regularly send reports to their Chinese colleagues on how the “bamboo bears” Ru Yi, Ding Ding and Katyusha, who was born in Moscow, are kept, fed and cared for. The launch of the English version of the livestream project will help make cooperation even more efficient and convenient: instead of transmitting gigabytes’ worth of recorded videos, it is enough simply to share a link to the livestream with foreign zoologists.
“Modern zoos cannot exist in isolation. And an important part of the job is continuous communication with colleagues. Specialists discuss all current trends in relation to animals’ welfare in zoos, including their ability to breed in captivity, exchange experience and learn about the scientific research conducted by their colleagues. Now foreign specialists can easily watch the animals online, observe the arrangement of their cages and the steps taken to enrich their environment, share experience with Russian zoologists, and participate in joint research projects. This is especially important for conservation programs focusing on endangered species, where international cooperation plays a key role,” said Svetlana Akulova, General Director of the Moscow Zoo.
The extension of the Moscow Zoo livestream project to an English-speaking audience, and the zoo’s successful experience in international cooperation are opening up new opportunities for the institution and its interaction with other zoos around the world.
The livestreams can also be used for educational purposes. Educational and conservation organizations around the world have the opportunity to integrate online animal monitoring into their programs. During the livestreams, experts can teach trainees, students and other viewers about animal behavior, animal needs, and the workings of modern zoos.
“The launch of the project in English will turn the zoo residents so beloved by Moscow residents, including the giant panda family, Timofei the Pallas’ cat and Ksyusha the hippo, into real international stars, watched by millions of viewers from all over the world. The online livestreams provide an opportunity to combine entertainment and educational goals in a single project, allowing people to observe in real time the behavior of animals, and to learn more about each species via the Internet. This is especially relevant for the younger generation, who are used to experiencing content in an interactive format. In addition, the digitalization of cultural, museum, educational and tourism projects makes them more accessible to users from all corners of the world regardless of their age and state of health,” said Boris Frolov, Deputy Head of the Moscow Department of Information Technologies.
Additional tourism opportunities
Thanks to the launch of the English version of the livestream project, it can be accessed by a wide audience from different countries. This will help to increase the interest of foreign viewers in the work of the Moscow Zoo and attract new tourists to the Russian capital, and also show them that the keeping of animals here meets the highest standards.
Having seen through the livestreams how interesting and informative a visit to the zoo is, foreign guests may include it in their plans when traveling to Moscow. Moscow’s Zoo is already considered one of the most popular spots in the city for family leisure. It is regularly visited by Moscow residents and visitors, both Russian and foreign.
In addition, the launch of a new version of the project airing from the Moscow Zoo is in line with several global travel trends. One is the ability to consume content online. Intergenerational travel, such as grandparents vacationing with their grandchildren, is also popular. Watching animals can provide a great opportunity for older people and children to spend time together, and serve as a reason to plan a family trip to the Russian capital.
Experience in the development of the capital’s technological capabilities
The Moscow Zoo’s livestream project was launched on mos.ru in the fall of 2024. Now, every day, visitors to the website can observe the lives of many of the zoo’s inhabitants, including representatives of the cat family, bears, pandas and other predators, as well as herbivores and primates. Since its launch, the project has been continuously evolving and scaling.
Taking the project to the international level is a new step in the development of Moscow’s technological capabilities. To make this possible, specialists have created a universal video streaming service that allows content to be viewed on virtually all devices and platforms. The service already provides for a number of usage options, including switching between real time mode and playback of the previous day’s livestream. This experience can be drawn on in the future, when scaling up and further developing other Moscow IT projects.