Moscow Zoo builds new complex for panda Katyusha

The Moscow Zoo is building a separate enclosure complex for panda Katyusha and a possible future mate. Zoo director Svetlana Akulova said the introduction is planned when the panda is five or six years old.

Katyusha was born at the Moscow Zoo on August 24, 2023, to giant pandas Zhui and Dindin. Three pandas now live at the zoo, each in a separate enclosure. The new space is being built for the growing Katyusha, while a mate remains a plan for the future.

Akulova spoke about the project on the Moscow 24 television program “Moscow Goes.” She also said the zoo is preparing new enclosures for golden monkeys. Along Krasnaya Presnya, she said, the zoo plans to replace stone fences and railings with a glass gallery overlooking a landscaped pond and pink flamingos.

The zoo previously announced a separate two-level complex for Katyusha. The plans include indoor and outdoor areas, as well as rooms for the animals to rest and receive care. In her latest remarks, the director said the future mate is expected to share the space with the panda.