Construction of Plovdiv’s new zoo begins
Construction of Plovdiv’s new zoo started on November 24, a 4.5 million leva project that will quadruple the size of the site to four hectares.
The zoo has been closed for the past six years because of the poor conditions for animals. The new zoo is being built on the site of the previous one.
Completion of the first phase is scheduled for September 2015, with Plovdiv municipality saying that the new facility will be the “largest, most modern and best equipped zoo in Bulgaria”.
There will be 22 dwellings for animals, which the Plovdiv municipality said would have conditions “close to nature”.
The zoo will have rest areas, a children’s playground, cafeteria and parking. A tunnel will lead to the bear area, with glass partitions separating visitors from the bears.
Plovdiv mayor Ivan Totev said that the construction of a large aquarium remained for the next stage. It is envisaged that the aquarium will feature marine animals, including sharks.
Totev said that the municipality was negotiating to acquire animals including flamingos, storks, cranes, Asian otters, Cameroon goats, deer, lynxes, camels and Patagonian mara.
