At the beginning of the last century, the first zoo appeared in Belarus. At first, Grodno had only a botanical garden on its territory, and then part of it was allocated for animals. So in 1927, the famous Grodno Zoological Park appeared and began to gradually develop, in which today there are more than 3, 000 individuals representing more than 300 species of animals.
Grodno Zoo: where it is located, opening hours
Grodno Zoo is located in the city center, near the railway station. The exact address of its location: 11. Timiryazev Street. If you suddenly get lost in the city, do not doubt that every passer-by knows how to find the Grodno Zoo. The working hours of the zoological park on weekdays: from 10.00 to 19.00. On weekends and holidays, the cashier starts work half an hour earlier, and ends half an hour later. After closing the ticket office, you can walk around the zoo for about an hour.
The terrarium located on the territory of the Grodno Zoo has its own mode of operation. It always starts to function from 10.00. On Monday and Thursday, it closes at 15.00, and on other weekdays - at 20.00. On weekends and holidays, the time for visiting the terrarium ends at 20.30.
When is the best time to visit the Grodno Zoo?
According to numerous reviews from visitors, it is best to go for a walk in the Grodno Zoological Park as soon as it opens. There are at least two reasons for this. Firstly, at 10 a.m. there are fewer people there, which eliminates the need to stand in a long line and gives a few quiet and comfortable hours in solitude with representatives of wildlife. Secondly, animals at this time are most active, and they can be well seen.
Walking around the park at lunchtime, you can stumble upon the feeding process, and the sight of a bloody dinner of predators can prettyly spoil the impression. If summer is in the yard, then animals tend to hide in secluded places from the midday heat, so that they can not be seen at all until the evening. As for the few hours before closing time, they are not the best time to visit the zoo due to the fact that some of its residents, especially birds, have the habit of getting an early night.
In order to make a trip to the Grodno Zoo, autumn, spring and cool summer days are better. Visiting it in the fall, you will see animals in the most magnificent form, well-fed and with lush hair. In the spring, some zoo residents may seem sick and groomed. On hot days, animals hide from the sun, and on frosty - from the cold.
What predators can be contemplated
It will be interesting and unusual for both children and adults to observe at a distance of several meters how large and small predators, which the Grodno Zoo is rich in, behave. The animals there have enough free enclosures, so they feel comfortable. Visitors see noble tigers, clumsy bears, mysterious wolves, graceful lions, leopards and cougars, gloomy hyenas and other predatory representatives of the fauna.
The zoo enclosures also contain smaller individuals of the predatory order. You can meet a fox, a ferret, a raccoon, a polar fox, a mongoose, an otter, a forest cat and so on. You can also find in the zoo and herbivorous representatives of the fauna.
Herbivores of the zoo
Grodno Zoo is ready to surprise its visitors with an unusual-looking pet that has thick tree-like branching horns, called the Alpine maral or no less interesting looking goat. The zoo also has a maned ram, guanaco, two-humped and one-humped camels, a frightening yak, fallow deer, mouflon, bison (located on the lists of the Red Book of the Republic of Belarus), a llama, a deer of David, a pony and other animals.
If almost none of the visitors seeks to feed the predators, then the herbivores strive to treat all sorts of goodies. However, feeding animals in the zoo is strictly prohibited. Having visited the site “Grandma's Yard” for an additional fee, you can get a lot of pleasure from close contact with contact animals, for example, monkeys. Here you can take cute photos as a keepsake.
Birds, as well as reptiles and amphibians
The largest class group of animals in the zoo are birds. Sukhonos, white-headed vulture, golden, gray and common pheasants, curly pelican, common peacock, spotted rosella, pink flamingo, gray heron, blue-and-yellow macaw, starling, bullfinch, steppe eagle and other birds welcome visitors.
Visiting the Grodno Zoo, you should also look into its terrarium, where you can contemplate various types of snakes, frogs, a bearded agama, a crocodile caiman, an ordinary iguana and other representatives of this group. For a fee you can go to feeding reptiles.
