The Kiev Zoo is one of the biggest zoos in the former Soviet Union and the only zoo in Kiev, Ukraine. It was first founded in 1908 by the Nature Lovers Society and was financed by various private donations. In 1996, the zoo was admitted to the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Nowadays, it occupies a territory of 40 hectares, containing over 2,000 fauna representatives from all over the world, including a pair of elephants. 130 different kinds of trees and bushes decorate the zoo's islands. The zoo is cared for by 378 staff members and receives about 280,000 visitors annually.
