CHAPTER XXVIII
ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN, ST. PETERSBURG: DIRECTOR, ANTUSCHEWITZ
This is a curious Garden in a curious city. When I say ‘Garden,’ I mean a collection of animals in cages, with a number of cafés chantants dotted about. After passing the entrance, there is a large café in front of one, in which a really good band plays. Just opposite is a huge theatre, partly open to the air, and surrounding it are other smaller theatres and cafés. On the left are some bears and a good collection of foxes and wolves. In another house, in which is a large tank, there are two fine hippopotami. In this house is the stuffed skin of a baby hippo which was born in the Garden, as well as some living tapirs and some curious-looking Russian dogs. The next house contains a pair of very handsome Burchell’s zebras, some nylgai, brindled and white-tailed gnus, and some rare little dwarf antelopes.
Opposite this house are stork and crane pens. In an elephant house, built in 1892, are two large Indian elephants, and close by them are some duck-ponds, containing ducks, geese, flamingoes, storks, and pelicans. Next to these ponds we come to some large aviaries, the first containing birds of prey, including some large condors, and the second pheasants and peacocks. Passing on, we reach the lion house, in which is a really good collection, and opposite to it are some wapiti and other deer sheds. There is the usual herd of American bison, which seem to be more common in Zoological Gardens than in their native haunts, and next to them some Indian water-buffaloes and four enormous camels from Russian Turkestan. Rabbits, seals, ostriches, and rheas helped to form an extremely good collection. Although there was very little snow about (May 24), it was quite cold enough for a greatcoat.
AMERICAN BISON, ST. PETERSBURG.
There was a great deal of painting and a great deal of rehearsing in the various theatres going on during my visit. This is quite one of the ugliest ‘Gardens’ in Europe; there is scarcely a tree or a blade of grass to be seen, and it is not worthy of the magnificent city it is placed in.
Entrance fee thirty-two kopecks, which equals about ninepence.