Home / Environment / Moscow Zoo Fights to Keep Beloved Panda Katyusha
Moscow Zoo Fights to Keep Beloved Panda Katyusha
7 Jul
Summary
- Moscow Zoo is negotiating with China to keep panda Katyusha.
- A new spacious enclosure is being built to international standards.
- Katyusha was raised by her mother and is considered wild.
The Moscow Zoo is engaged in ongoing negotiations with China, hoping to secure an extended stay for the panda Katyusha. Zoo Director Svetlana Akulova expressed optimism about the possibility of Katyusha remaining, despite the agreement that all pandas globally belong to China. A new, spacious, and modern enclosure is being constructed for Katyusha, featuring dedicated feeding areas, private rooms, and comfortable outdoor spaces, meeting international standards.
This new facility is designed to accommodate a pair of pandas and potentially their offspring. Should Katyusha depart, the enclosure is planned to house Zhui and Ding Ding, the pandas who arrived in Moscow in 2019. Zhui and Ding Ding are parents to cubs born at the zoo, with the first born in late August 2023. Cubs are permitted to remain in Russia until four years of age before needing to participate in conservation programs abroad.
Katyusha is particularly valued for her upbringing, having been exclusively raised by her mother and largely avoiding human contact. This has allowed her to develop strong wild instincts, making her a potentially excellent mother for future conservation efforts. The zoo continues to negotiate with their Chinese counterparts, seeking a chance for Katyusha to remain.
