Five lions will be brought from Slovakia to the Zoological Garden in Chisinau at the start of next year. Contacted by IPN for details, Zoo director Alexei Hanțațuc said that two female lions and a male lion died at the Zoo earlier this year because they were old.

The oldest female lion was 24 and lived at the Zoo for 22 years. The other lioness stayed there for 20 years, while the male lion for 18 years. The five lions from Slovakia are offered free of charge.

In the wilderness, the lions usually live for 8-10 years, while in captivity they can reach even 35 years.

As to the bears living at the Zoo, Alexei Hanțațuc said the female bear is 34 already, while the male bear is almost 30. This year they were to buy a number of bear cubs from Kamchatka, but the pandemic thwarted their plans.

The Zoological Garden is open from Tuesday through Sunday between 8am and 8pm. Tickets cost 30 lei for adults and 5 lei for students and pensioners. Entrance for children younger than seven is free of charge.