Kyiv Zoo

The Kyiv Zoo () is the only large zoo in Kyiv, Ukraine and one of the largest zoos in the former Soviet Union. Situated on about , the zoo is cared for by 378 staff members and receives about 280,000 visitors annually. History The Kyiv Zoo was founded in 1909 by the Nature Lovers Society and was financed by various private donations. During its first years in business, the zoo experienced some hardships and therefore, did not contain many animals, just 17 different types. During the first winter the zoo was opened, the animals had to be kept in the food storage of the main Kyiv railway station, as the zoo's founders had not found a suitable shelter to keep the animals in during cold weather. Eventually, the shelter was found in the Kyiv Botanical Garden. As the zoo prospered, the number of animals had increased, limiting the space available. It was reported that stray animals frightened the employees of the garden. Only 4 years after the zoo was founded, it was given a relatively large, permanent area in the outskirts of Kyiv. In 1913 the animals premises received heating.