Kyiv Zoo Turns 90

Currently, it is populated by over 2,000 birds and animals representing 317 species. Pelicans, flamingoes, and Kazik, a cassowary from South America, are veteran inmates. Each has spent more than 30 years here. The latest newcomer is a cow-elephant with the unpronounceable name Dirndl, the elephant Boy's paramour.

250 work here. Deputy Director Tetiana Kachan says that most of them are former members of young nature lovers' clubs.

Long-lived animals - hippos, rhinos, and the elephant - are among the zoo veterans. Staffers state that the animals have been spared the economic discomfort of the past several years as their ration has remained unchanged since Soviet times: vegetables, cereals, meat, and even bread.

The Kyiv Zoo has been renovated thrice previously: in 1935, 1950, and in the early 1960s. The last pavilion was built in 1982, then came simply cosmetic repairs. According to Director Mykola Tokariev, this time the city administration decided to honor the jubilee and allocated Hr 26 million for new structures. Next year the zoo will start getting ready for the new millennium.