Seeing a Capybara in Person Is Priceless
There are also plenty of benefits, thanks to which you can visit theaters, museums, and cinemas almost for free. Today I will tell you how I visited the Moscow Zoo twice - the trip there cost me zero rubles. Student status opens up a lot of opportunities - from participating in youth forums to free travel across the vast expanses of Russia. There are also plenty of benefits, thanks to which you can visit theaters, museums, and cinemas almost for free. Today I will tell you how I visited the Moscow Zoo twice - the trip there cost me zero rubles.
For visitors to the Moscow Zoo with a student ID, there is a day when you can walk around the huge territory absolutely free - every third Wednesday of the month (those who have a residence permit in Moscow - you can go for free at least every day). Since I am only a guest of the capital, a visit to the Moscow Zoo was a new experience for me. As soon as I came to study in Moscow, having entered the master's program "Foreign Languages and Intercultural Communication", I decided not to miss the chance to take advantage of the opportunity to visit one of the oldest zoos in Europe. The zoo's territory is 21.4 hectares, and to walk around the entire zoo, you need to allocate 3-4 hours for a walk.
I visited the zoo for the first time in October, and despite the already fallen leaves and the sky covered with clouds, the scale and beauty of the territory captivated me. If you enter through the main entrance, you can immediately go out to a large pond. Bright accents against the gray background were the pink flamingos that live there. You can also watch ducks, pheasants, pelicans, peacocks and swans. Here and there, bird calls are heard, and it seems that you are not in the center of the metropolis, but somewhere far away in nature.
The territory of the Moscow Zoo itself is divided into old and new parts. The "Big Presnensky Pond" with bird islands is located in the old part of the zoo. On the right are the enclosures where llamas and capybaras live. At least to see the charming capybaras, it is worth visiting the zoo. On my first trip there, I did not even think that they were there. Since it was already cold in October, the capybaras were in a closed enclosure. You could look at them up close, and they, of course, attracted the attention of visitors to the zoo. My next stop was to visit the predatory animals. The Moscow Zoo has many of them: predators such as tigers, lions, leopards, lynxes, wolves, foxes, bears, hyenas, raccoons, otters and many others. Among them is the Pallas's cat - the symbol of the Moscow Zoo. His name is Timofey, he also lives in the old territory. We all know how charming and miniature they are, but you need to see a Pallas's cat in real life to be amazed at how tiny these amazing animals really are.
The old and new territories are connected by a pedestrian bridge. The new territory also has a pond with ducks and other birds. Here you can also find predatory animals, for example, you can look at a polar bear, wolves, jackals. At the edge of the new territory lives the Amur tiger - the largest cat on the planet. Unfortunately, I did not manage to look at it, as it was hiding in a cave. But the Amur tiger is also a popular point of attraction for all visitors to the zoo and guests of the capital, so it is worth trying your luck and trying to see this graceful animal in person.
My second visit to the Moscow Zoo took place in May - the weather was more favorable on this day and the sun was shining in the morning. There were already green trees, flowers were blooming, lilac bushes were in bloom. Capybaras at the main entrance to the zoo were walking in the street and chewing grass. Among the large capybaras, I noticed a small capybara - I mentally congratulated the zoo on this wonderful addition. In good weather, even at 8 am there were many visitors, many were walking with strollers and with children. One of the advantages of the zoo is its accessible environment - there are ramps everywhere, so even with the smallest children you can visit the zoo and walk under the treetops, listen to the birds singing and learn new information about the flora and fauna of our planet.
On my second visit to the zoo, I managed to see more active animals, who were also happy about the arrival of warm weather. After watching the capybaras, I went to the kangaroo enclosure - it turns out that they are also very small in size. I will probably never see a kangaroo in their native habitat, but when I came to the zoo, I was able to look at them up close and once again admire how unusual and beautiful they are.
Another point of attraction for visitors to the zoo are the pandas. These wonderful animals also live in the old territory. The giant panda is not as big as its name suggests. There are only three of them in the Moscow Zoo - Zhui and Dindin and their daughter Katyusha - the first panda born in Russia. Their charming family prefers rest rather than various activities. Looking at the peacefully sleeping pandas, I could only envy their peace and enjoyment of simple things. Katyusha, the youngest of the pandas in the zoo, appeared only two years ago. During this time, she has grown up and it was even difficult to distinguish her from her parents. Seeing pandas in person is a rare opportunity, so seeing them on my second visit to the zoo was valuable.
When visiting the new area of the zoo, you can see African animals. Zebras, antelopes, giraffes - they all live in a huge free enclosure. I caught a glimpse of the white and black stripes of zebras frolicking in the meadow. There was no feeling that they were in the center of the city. The territory of the zoo was arranged in such a way that it seemed like you were somewhere in the middle of the wild nature.
In general, zoos have both supporters and opponents. On the one hand, zoos serve to preserve species and protect against threats to the wild. Often, animals that can no longer survive in their natural habitat end up in zoos. Also, thanks to zoos, people learn more about these wonderful animals, can conduct research and try to prevent the extinction of rare species. Endangered species often lack genetic diversity in their population. Zoos promote genetic diversity by breeding animals and then releasing them back into the wild. On the other hand, many zoos cannot provide animals with the free and diverse environment they are accustomed to. Unfortunately, there are still zoos that keep animals in small cages and serve more as entertainment for children than as a place where animals can feel safe. So, are zoos good for animals or not? Perhaps it all depends on how well individual zoos are managed, and the benefits of zoos can surely outweigh their harmful effects.
In any case, I am glad that there is such an opportunity to visit the zoo for free and learn a lot about those inhabitants of the planet that I will never meet in everyday life, but which are an important part of the ecosystem of our world.
What other opportunities exist in Moscow for students to broaden their horizons and spend time in a way that benefits their minds and souls? Every Wednesday you can buy a free ticket to the Pushkin Museum. Even in summer there are exhibitions of paintings by Russian and foreign artists. The Tretyakov Gallery also offers good discounts for students. I also recommend visiting the following places: Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve, Mineralogical Museum, State Historical Museum. These places also offer free admission days for students. Always check the websites and learn about the rules for visiting students before visiting. You may not even know that there is an opportunity to visit the capital's attractions practically for free.
So if you don't know how to productively spend your summer holidays, go to the zoo or museum. Invite your friends and groupmates with you - let your student ID not lie on the shelf and actively travel to interesting places with you. I also recommend taking your student card with you on trips - in different cities you will also find a reason to use it and visit the city's iconic places for free.
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