Four griffon-vultures from Macedonia settled in the Kazan zoo the Zambezi River

The new inhabitants neighbor to a pair of griffons that have been living in Kazan since 1997, and two black vultures.

Visitors to the Kazan zoo the Zambezi River have an opportunity to meet the new inhabitants - the day before, two pairs of griffon-vultures from Macedonia were moved to open enclosures. Now they are neighboring to a pair of griffons that have been living in Kazan since 1997, and two black vultures.

Four griffon-vultures moved from the Macedonian capital’s zoo – Skopje - at the end of December, 2019.

At first, the new inhabitants of the Zambezi River were quarantined in a heated room. Now, when the weather has been set, no frosts are expected. During their stay under quarantine, the birds gained subcutaneous fat, acclimated, adapted to local weather conditions and will now live in an open enclosure with other griffons and vultures permanently.

Adelya Galiullina, head of the Zoo’s department of ornithology, noted that 28-year-old griffons living in Kazan since 1997, withstand temperatures up to minus 40 degrees and they are not afraid of frost. “We plan that next winter new griffons will also live in an open enclosure. To do this, before wintering, the amount of feed will be increased so that the birds gain subcutaneous fat,” - she said.

For information, on December 21, the new zoo the Zambezi River was opened in test mode. The zoo will be fully inhabited in 2020-2021.