Havana City Guide - Cuba's Zoo

The Zoo of Havana was inaugurated on October 24,condor pair, a gift from the Chilean president
1939 in the lands of the former farm and nursery "LaSalvador Allende to Fidel Castro.
Rosa", an estate owned by the City Hall of Havana,The reproduction of animals in captivity has had good
and it had initially 69 animal species in 2 hectares ofresults in the zoo. In 2008, new young specimens
land. Today, this zoo has 164 species in an extensionwere born; and around the tens of newly born, there
of almost 24 hectares; a zoo that Cubans know aswere a coyote, a buffalo and more recently, a pair
the Zoo on 26th because it is located on that avenueof condors that was donated to the Andean
in the neighborhood of Nuevo Vedado.countries for the increase of the species in the wild.
In its main entrance, a group of sculptures made byHowever, there is a group of unique species that are
the Cuban artist Rita Longa and placed there in 1947truly endangered because Cuba has not had the
stands high; sculptures that have become the symbolpossibility to interchange specimens with other zoos
of the park. In the same decade, the lions pit and thein the region due to the environmental issues of the
lake system were built; and in 1947 the island of thecountries, affected by diseases such as the milk
crocodiles was constructed, while the place forfever or parrot fever; all of which have made the
keeping elephants, which has a slope, was built inreproduction of these species impossible.
1960. The places to keep the great mammalsAmong the goals of the zoo, environmental education
(rhinoceros and hippopotamuses) were built after astands out, a work that implies permanent persuasion
study of the weight of these animals.with the people who confuse the enjoyment of the
Even though the monkeys are one of the mainanimals with abuse. That is the reason why specialists
attractions of the park, this zoo also has a fabulousof the Zoo of Havana teach lessons of environmental
collection of birds and reptiles, being among themeducation to the students of nearby schools; and
Santa María snakes and two pythons of 3 metersduring the weekends, children and adults alike have
each. One thing that calls the attention of this zoo isthe chance to get in touch with live and stuffed
having one of the few birds that have hair in Cuba:animals. Besides the exhibition of flora and fauna, this
the Australian eagle; an American owl from Virginiazoo has a playground for children and eating areas.
that is more than 40 years old; and the male of a