Dushanbe Zoo or Dushanbe Zoological Park (russian: Душанбинский зоопарк; tg, Боғи Ҳайвоноти Душанбе, Boği Hayvonoti Dushanbe) was founded in 1960 in

Dushanbe Dushanbe ( tg, Душанбе, ; ; russian: Душанбе) is the capital and largest city of Tajikistan. , Dushanbe had a population of 863,400 and that population was largely Tajik. Until 1929, the city was known in Russian as Dyushambe (ru ...

Tajikistan Tajikistan (, ; tg, Тоҷикистон, Tojikiston; russian: Таджикистан, Tadzhikistan), officially the Republic of Tajikistan ( tg, Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон, Jumhurii Tojikiston), is a landlocked country in Centr ...

. The zoo is located in the center of the city on the Luchob river bank (on Ismoili Somoni Avenue), next to the

Pamir Stadium The Markazii Tojikiston Stadium (russian: Центральный республиканский стадион Душанбе; tg, Варзишгоҳи марказии Тоҷикистон, Varzishgohi Markazii Tojikiston), also known as Pamir S ...

, and measures roughly twice the size of the stadium.

History

Dushanbe Zoo was founded in 1960. By 1974, with 1059 animals of 254 species, Dushanbe Zoo was regarded as one of the best zoos in the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...

. The relatively mild climatic conditions of Dushanbe allowed tropical fauna to be kept outdoors. Until the breakdown of the

and independence in 1991, the zoo was considered one of the best sightseeing attractions in Dushanbe. The number of animals was great and diverse. The two Indian elephants, ''Delhi'' and ''Radsch'', were favorites of visitors. National independence in 1991, followed by a

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

lasting until 1997, posed a great threat to the zoo in terms of the loss of species and economic hardship; public financing was no longer available to the extent it was before. Staff and volunteers faced a challenge to their own survival. In short, the once-famous zoo was abandoned and left to survive on its own. However, because it is the only public institution to present to the population species of local and foreign fauna, zoo attendance is now being restored.

Fauna

Today, the number of animals kept is about 600. Dushanbe Zoo is the only institution in the country that supports wildlife in captivity. Animals of both indigenous and foreign species of Asian and African

fauna Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is '' flora'', and for fungi, it is '' funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as '' biota''. ...

are kept here. Of the exotic animals, some African and Asian primates are kept here. Of the large cat family there is a male and female

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large cat of the genus '' Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphic; adu ...

s, a

jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus ''Panthera'' native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the largest cat species in the Americas and the th ...

and

snow leopard The snow leopard (''Panthera uncia''), also known as the ounce, is a felid in the genus '' Panthera'' native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because the global population is es ...

. Of local fauna,

brown bear The brown bear (''Ursus arctos'') is a large bear species found across Eurasia and North America. In North America, the populations of brown bears are called grizzly bears, while the subspecies that inhabits the Kodiak Islands of Alaska is k ...

, black bear,

Bactrian camel The Bactrian camel (''Camelus bactrianus''), also known as the Mongolian camel or domestic Bactrian camel, is a large even-toed ungulate native to the steppes of Central Asia. It has two humps on its back, in contrast to the single-humped dro ...

donkey The domestic donkey is a hoofed mammal in the family Equidae, the same family as the horse. It derives from the African wild ass, ''Equus africanus'', and may be classified either as a subspecies thereof, ''Equus africanus asinus'', or as ...

wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly un ...

jackal Jackals are medium-sized canids native to Africa and Eurasia. While the word "jackal" has historically been used for many canines of the subtribe canina, in modern use it most commonly refers to three species: the closely related black-backed ...

, fox,

raccoon The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the common raccoon to distinguish it from other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of , and a body weight of ...

, and some birds like owl,

vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...

golden eagle The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known bird ...

, and

falcon Falcons () are birds of prey in the genus ''Falco'', which includes about 40 species. Falcons are widely distributed on all continents of the world except Antarctica, though closely related raptors did occur there in the Eocene. Adult falcons ...

are presented here. Also some reptiles, like

snakes Snakes are elongated, limbless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more j ...

caymans The Cayman Islands () is a self-governing British Overseas Territory—the largest by population in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, which are located to the s ...

lizards Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia altho ...

are displayed indoors. None of the animals enjoy their natural habitat and are kept in cages that are inappropriate for their sizes. The conditions are very harsh for the animals, especially as specialized care is not available.

Connection with Black Pine Animal Sanctuary, Albion, Indiana, United States

In 2006, an accident at Dushanbe Zoo led to a student's arm being mauled by a bear. Student pen-pals at schools in Dushanbe and Albion, Indiana brainstormed ways to increase safety at the zoo, and to improve the zoo in general. Working with mentors and sponsoring organizations, the work of the two groups of students resulted in the zoo receiving a $75,000 grant in 2007 from the

American Alliance of Museums American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

, which will allow the zoo to develop a volunteer program, repair fences, add signs, and put in a garden area, picnic area, and playground.

References

External links

Elephants Database
{{authority control Buildings and structures in Dushanbe Zoos in Tajikistan Zoos established in 1960 1960 establishments in Tajikistan