Donated animals, newborns thriving in restored Tbilisi Zoo

A year on from the destructive flood, life in Tbilisi Zoo is thriving again as staff welcome newborn animals and donated arrivals from European zoos.

Tbilisi Zoo was severely damaged in the June 13, 2015 flood that hit Tbilisi, killing 19 people and leaving hundreds homeless.

Out of the Zoo's 1,155 animals, 281 died in the natural disaster. The lower part of the Zoo was completely destroyed where cages and infrastructure were crushed or washed away, while in the upper section the higher land fared less damage and the animals were out of harm’s way.

After a year of intensive repair and restoration works, Tbilisi Zoo is now thriving. The central city animal park is now home to new animals donated from other Zoos as well as newborn animals including a fawn several days ago that symbolises the renewal of life at the animal park.

A group of meerkats at the restored Tbilisi Zoo. Photo from the Tbilisi City Hall/Facebook.

A photo of the newborn deer was released by the Zoo on its social media page. Alongside the image Zoo staff asked the public to come up with an imaginative name for the young female that spent her time "following her mother around".

The fawn is one of several recent additions to the Zoo. The animal park has received 29 animals from European zoos since its restoration following the flood.

Shortly after the flood seven animals arrived from various European parks however 22 more – including a mongoose, coatis, porcupines and gnus – arrived in Tbilisi on May 30.

The new animals were sent as a gift from Duisburg Zoo in Germany and Planckendael Zoo in Belgium. The new animals have settled in well to their new homes, said Zoo staff.

Tbilisi Zoo underwent major restoration to animal cages and infrastructure since the flood last June. Photo from the Tbilisi City Hall/Facebook.

Tbilisi Zoo administration said it expected to receive around 100 more animals including deer, monkeys and wallabies from zoos in France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Belgium before the end of the year.

Work to restore the damaged enclosures and replace old cages with new one has been underway at the Zoo since area was cleaned of the remains of the 2015 flood.

However, in the longer term, Tbilisi Zoo staff are already looking at plans to move to a new location near Tbilisi Sea.

A mongoose photographed at the Tbilisi Zoo following the park's restoration. Photo from the Tbilisi City Hall/Facebook.

A piece of land near Tbilisi Sea was selected as the new Zoo location. Construction of the animal cages is currently underway at the new site.

Meanwhile Tbilisi Zoo will remain at its central city location near Heroes Square "for several more years, until the new park is developed", Tbilisi Mayor Davit Narmania told reporters during his visit to the restored park on Thursday.

The process of moving animals to the new zoo will be carried out in stages. The current Zoo location will be turned into a recreational park, he said.