Lions, giraffes and people with big hearts: Mykolaiv Zoo - 125 years

April 26, 2026 Mykolaiv Zoo celebrates its 125th anniversary. It was on April 26, 1901 that the institution’s founder Mykola Pavlovych Leontovych opened his private collection to visitors. This was the beginning of the history of one of the oldest zoos in Ukraine, a history that has continued for more than a century.

Today Mykolaiv Zoo – is not only a place for walks, but a large living system that is supported daily by a team of specialists. Staff care for the animals, preserve the valuable collection of wild species and continue their work even under conditions of a full-scale war.

The last few years have been especially difficult for the institution. During the Russian aggression the zoo came under shelling, but its employees stayed with the animals. They did not abandon the institution; they fed, treated and cared for them, and did everything possible to preserve the lives of its residents.

Despite the war, Mykolaiv Zoo continues to live, receive visitors, develop educational initiatives and remain one of the city’s symbols. In 1993 it became the first Ukrainian zoo to be admitted to the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, and in 2003 it joined the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

On the anniversary day the zoo staff were thanked for their daily work, resilience and dedication. After all, it was these people who, in the most difficult moments, stayed with those who cannot ask for help themselves.

Previously we wrote:

• Watermelons, water and birds on the back: children in Mykolaiv to attend a lecture about capybaras
• Short of hands: Mykolaiv Zoo calls for volunteers to clean the ponds
• Why tapirs and capybaras disappeared: Mykolaiv Zoo explains the situation
• Mykolaiv Zoo calls on locals to congratulate the polar bears Smetanka and Zefirka