Africarium-Oceanarium: New Arrivals [PHOTO, VIDEO]

The opening of Africarium - Oceanarium in Wrocław ZOO is planned only late autumn, but the facility hardly resembles a construction site any more. In Africarium things change every few days: added are exotic plants that make up the ever green Congo jungle, or further design elements of the outdoor enclosures, and their decorations are polished up, for example at the enclosure of tiny Salt's dik-diks and the aardvark. The latter will move here from a much less convenient current residence in Wrocław zoo. At its disposal will be a long, comfortable tunnel-shaped burrow, in which he will be visible thanks to a glass window.

Sharks get coelenterates, and manatees get water

In Africanarium's largest tank, the Mosambic canal, in which sharks, rays and barracudas will reside, corals and coelenterates appeared recently. However, genuine sharks are not coming until later.

On the other hand, first specimens of exotic fish from the Tanganyika lake were released to... the Tanganyika tank. And more are coming from a foreign zoo. Also, for some days now another tank is being filled with water - this time it's the one for manatees (sea cows), available for viewing as a part of the Congo jungle tour. Also available there will be crocodiles and African clawless otter.

A foretaste of Africanarium is already available outside, where new enclosures for penguins opened a month ago: one for African penguins, and the second one for Wrocław zoo Northern fur seals. It is there that the waterfalls were launched recently. "The Northern fur seals, including the youngest one, Zola, liked the new tank so much that they wouldn't come out of water for two days" admits Monika Kownacka from the zoo's marketing department. Two males are still waiting for their moving day: Nelson and Chico. The real star and the visitors' favourite is now the pack of penguins, comprising of 49 specimens as for now. In some time, when their friends from France arrive, there will be twice as much of them.

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