Meet the Rescued Animals at Moscow's Wildlife Rehabilitation Shelter
In a large park about two hours outside Moscow, hundreds of wild animals and birds live, rest and play — but this is no zoo.
Covering four hectares of land, the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center rehabilitates rescued animals in a calm, quiet environment with the goal of releasing them back into the wild or bringing them to a zoo where they can safely live out their final years. In order to limit the stress of human contact, the center isn't open to visitors.
Many of the center's residents have been rescued from the illegal exotic animal trade or were confiscated from businesses that were illegally using them for entertainment. Others were found injured and unable to survive in the wild on their own.
Here's a look at the furry and feathered inhabitants who call the center home:
Covering four hectares of land, the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center rehabilitates rescued animals in a calm, quiet environment with the goal of releasing them back into the wild or bringing them to a zoo where they can safely live out their final years. In order to limit the stress of human contact, the center isn't open to visitors.
Many of the center's residents have been rescued from the illegal exotic animal trade or were confiscated from businesses that were illegally using them for entertainment. Others were found injured and unable to survive in the wild on their own.
Here's a look at the furry and feathered inhabitants who call the center home:
Big cats like lions are often improperly kept as pets. Lion cubs are also used by some businesses for paid photoshoots — but are then abandoned as soon as they grow too big.
Alexander Avilov / Moskva News Agency
About three to four new animals are brought to the center each week.
Muscovites who discover an injured or abandoned animal can call a hotline and report it to the authorities, who will then send a team to pick it up and bring it to a veterinarian before sending it to the rehabilitation center.
Muscovites who discover an injured or abandoned animal can call a hotline and report it to the authorities, who will then send a team to pick it up and bring it to a veterinarian before sending it to the rehabilitation center.
Alexander Avilov / Moskva News Agency
Many of the animals are used to human contact...
Alexander Avilov / Moskva News Agency
...and some will even welcome a few scratches.
Alexander Avilov / Moskva News Agency
Primates are commonly confiscated by customs officers and from illegal petting zoos.
Alexander Avilov / Moskva News Agency
The center says it works to recreate the animals' natural diet as closely as possible and to give them a living space similar to their normal habitats.
Alexander Avilov / Moskva News Agency
Many of the animals, like this nine-year-old rhesus macaque, will live at the center for the rest of their lives...
Alexander Avilov / Moskva News Agency
...but having a companion makes one's stay a little less lonely.
Alexander Avilov / Moskva News Agency
