A pair of exotic galago animals has appeared at the Vitebsk Zoo

Last Sunday, a pair of adult thick-tailed galagos were brought to us from Moscow. The animals were acquired through charitable donations from zoo visitors.

These animals are something in between a cat and a squirrel. From cats, they have a large fluffy tail, which, however, can also be considered a squirrel trait. Stealthy, graceful movements and cuteness also make the animal similar to a domestic cat. From a squirrel, they have extraordinary jumping ability, agility, strength, and nimbleness. According to the official classification, galagos belong to the order of primates. They live in South Africa and prefer dry and gallery (growing along rivers) forests. The animals sleep in trees in flat nests made of leaves.

– The four-year-old galagos tolerated the journey well, – said the zoo director Irina Orlova. – The animals' well-being is satisfactory.

The galago's fur is light gray, sometimes with a reddish tint, and lighter on the belly. The animal's neck is very mobile; it can turn its head 180 degrees. Galagos have a very well-developed sense of smell, and their large eyes help them see in the dark, although they do not have color vision. These representatives of exotic fauna can move their ear shells independently of each other and direct each ear, like a radar, towards a sound. If necessary, they can roll their ears into a tube.

The animals' diet includes apples, grapes, bananas, pears, peaches, dried fruits, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, pumpkin, boiled and raw chicken, cottage cheese, and live insects.

At the zoo, the galagos will live in an enclosure with many wooden structures for climbing and jumping. Residents and guests of the northern capital of Belarus will now be able to see these unusual animals.

Olga Stepanenko, "Vitebskiye Vesti"