In the Almaty region, during a meeting of the project office with the participation of vice-ministers from several ministries, the fate of the Almaty Zoo was discussed, as reported by Tengrinews.kz.
On the website of the Almaty region akimat, information appeared stating that one of the topics discussed at the meeting was the relocation of the Almaty Zoo to the territory of the Alatau city "as part of the tourist infrastructure development program."
Later, the akimat of the Almaty region acknowledged a mistake and removed the information about the zoo's relocation to Alatau.
Meanwhile, the culture department of Almaty stated that there are no plans to move the Almaty Zoo to another city.
"Regarding the operations of the Almaty Zoo, the Culture Department of Almaty clarifies the following: The Almaty Zoo continues to operate at its current location, and there are no plans for relocation to another city. The development plan for the territory of Almaty includes modernization and reconstruction of the zoo in accordance with international standards based on the zoogeographical principle," - the statement reads.
This year, a competition will be announced for the development of project estimates. According to the department, the reconstruction will be carried out in phases until 2028. It is expected that the zoo's reconstruction will significantly improve the conditions for keeping animals and enhance the comfort of visitors.
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The Almaty Zoo was opened in 1937, covering just 7 hectares at that time. It was established by an experienced hunter and expert of Semirechye, Murzahan Tolebaev. In the 1960s, the zoo was expanded. Today, the oldest zoo in Kazakhstan spans an area of 21,145 hectares.
