Why is a monkey more dangerous than a bear? How a journalist cared for animals at the Vitebsk Zoo

The Director of the Vitebsk Zoo, Irina Orlova, gladly accepted our offer to write about the work of people who care for animals.

- Extra hands are always welcome, especially since the lions haven't been fed yet… Just kidding, - the director added, seeing one of the volunteers nervously light a cigarette. - In the 20 years of the zoo's existence, no employee has been harmed. However, some visitors, due to their own carelessness, have left with bruises and abrasions.

- What a shame, - the photographer whispers in my ear. - I thought we'd get some good shots.

- Irina Mikhailovna, can this joker with the camera also go inside the cages, instead of shooting through the bars?

- Of course.

The Devil Isn't as Frightening as He's Painted...

We visited the zoo on Monday. It turns out that this is also a difficult and intense day here, which, in military terms, could be called PKhD (park and utility day). It is intended for tidying up the territory and enclosures after the weekend, when many people visit the zoo.

Therefore, I will have to clean up excrement in the cages, scrub the nets, perches, and various decorative items.

First, we put on work clothes: when a bird marks you, it's certainly good luck, but considering the number of feathered creatures in the zoo, one would have to work solely on replacing their belongings.

Now, to the main duties of animal care workers. There are not many of them: cleaning and maintaining cleanliness in enclosures, cages, and terrariums, as well as feeding the pets.

When cleaning, it is necessary to observe safety precautions, know the habits and character of the animals to avoid provoking aggression or causing discomfort. But the most important thing is to love your charges.

We head to the enclosures. No one is allowed into the cages and enclosures without instruction. Irina Orlova tells us the basic rules of conduct around animals and hands us shovels and rags.

We enter a spacious enclosure with herons and cormorants. They immediately fly up to perches in the opposite corner and watch my manipulations with interest. I clean the artificial pond of debris with a net, and remove dirt from wooden objects and stones. The feathered creatures perceive every sudden movement as a potential danger, flap their wings in indignation, and fly from place to place.

The work is monotonous, but if you've taken on a task, see it through.

The next enclosure is with porcupines. They are sleeping in their shelter, but upon hearing our footsteps, they come out into the fresh air, sniff my legs, and do not move away from the broom sweeping back and forth across the floor. Irina Mikhailovna asks not to forget that the exotic hedgehogs have sharp and long quills, which they use in case of danger by bristling and jumping backward. Therefore, she recommends working smoothly, without overexerting.

We go to meet the lion and the bear. They are locked in special cages during cleaning, so being in their territory is no more dangerous than being near turtles. But it doesn't hurt to double-check the latches.

One should be particularly careful with the bear: its front paws are like hands - nimble and multifunctional. A predator can easily move a bolt handle left carelessly in plain sight.

Being near coatis is like being with cats. They are cute and affectionate. But one should not forget their sharp teeth and claws several centimeters long. The same can be said about parrots - they are ready to sit on your head to attract attention.

It's harder with the caiman and the python. But there are tricks that will make cleaning their terrariums safe. A crocodile cannot jump up, so the pond is cleaned with a brush from above. And the snake is cold-blooded, so the lamps need to be turned off in advance to make it docile.

Interacting with monkeys turned out to be the most dangerous. They are willful, and perceive every glance at themselves as aggression. These animals attack in a group. And it's useless to defend yourself; it's better to squat down and cover your head.

Iryna Mykhailivna stays close to us in their enclosure and constantly reminds us: "Don't look at them, don't pay attention." It's hard to do that: you feel a dozen eyes on you, and you want to make sure you're not in danger. But everything turned out fine.

Everything ingenious is simple

After cleaning, it's time to feed the animals. The pets' diet includes all the substances necessary for life and health. Food preparation is almost always limited to chopping, without boiling or frying.

Our smaller brethren are divided into carnivores and vegetarians. But within each group, many types can be distinguished – according to their favorite food and how they consume it. While the good-natured elk drools in anticipation of a bunch of young branches, the sleepy python's eyes light up at the sight of a live rabbit. Felines and the spectacled caiman will also be happy to receive fresh meat. Parrots are fed grain, and monkeys – fruits.

Words cannot convey the main thing – the feeling when you see an animal genuinely happy and grateful. For example, the restless coatis carefully, so as not to touch your fingers, eat dried fruits, and a bison allows itself to be petted by the worker who brought a bundle of leaves.

Caution – Human!

After cleaning and feeding, the zoo opens to visitors. The interest shown by Vitebsk residents and city guests in the institution pleases Iryna Orlova. But not all visitors know how to behave here, and zoo staff have to be distracted from their direct duties to keep the pets healthy.

- Many lack basic zoo etiquette," reports Iryna Mykhailivna. - Despite the prohibiting signs everywhere, people try to feed, pet, or grab animals by the horns. This is not only dangerous for the lovers of colorful photos themselves but also irritates and disturbs the animals.

In the ten minutes it took us to walk through the zoo, the director made remarks to visitors three times. They were sticking chips and popcorn into the cages, and a banana peel lay near the bison's enclosure.

Another disturber of the peace was caught near the crocodile terrarium. The man was banging on the glass, hoping the predator would emerge from the water for a good shot, disregarding warning signs and not considering the consequences (broken glass and bitten-off hands).

- And if you were woken up at three in the morning to be asked if you were asleep, would you like that?

- That's different, I came here specifically to see him awake," he justifies himself.

- But he's not an actor or a model...

- And I paid money.

Others explain their actions as follows: "If we don't feed them, they'll die of hunger here," "I'm responsible for my own safety," "I want to touch it," and so on.

Sometimes, staff remarks are met with outright hostility: "Who are you to tell me what to do?", "I can do whatever I want with my money." Naturally, the staff tries to avoid calling the police, but de-escalating conflicts is not easy.

* * *

Despite the difficulty and monotony of the work, we didn't want to part with the animals. They gave us many positive impressions and taught us to be simpler - to rejoice in small things and not to hide our emotions.

Oleg Shvedov, "Vitebskiye Vesti"