Donetsk, May 2 — DAN. A male puma from Penza will replenish Mariupol Zoo’s collection of animals,  Zoo Director Savely Vashura told the Donetsk News Agency.

“A male puma from Penza Zoo will soon be brought for our female puma so that they can have cubs, ” Vashura said. “This is how we are enlarging our collection of animals.”

The Zoo will welcome a couple of monkeys later this month, he added.

Earlier, Mariupol Zoo brought two pedigree camels from Kalmykia. It is planning to take in llamas, alpacas, ponies, ostriches, mouflons and yaks in the near future.

Mariupol Zoo is a private organization. It was established in Sartana in 2009 and initially featured a collection of birds.  In 2016, the Zoo was moved to Mariupol. It sprawled on an area of 3.5 hectares and had leopards, lions, tigers, bears, wolves, dogs, foxes, silver foxes, donkeys, camels, deer and does, peacocks, cranes, storks, ostriches, quails, pelicans, squirrels and river rats. Animal enclosures were damaged in the spring of 2022. Some animals were killed: one cheetah, five camels, three llamas, five ostriches and as many monkeys.*jk