Yahoo – AFP,
8 Aug 2014
Moscow (AFP) - Russia's drastic ban on food imports from Europe has claimed it first victims -- the rather choosy animals at Moscow zoo.
A polar bear eats bread in the Moscow Zoo on August 8, 2014 |
Moscow (AFP) - Russia's drastic ban on food imports from Europe has claimed it first victims -- the rather choosy animals at Moscow zoo.
Keepers at
the zoo, one of Europe's oldest, are scrambling to adjust the menus for its
animals, which rely heavily on Dutch vegetables and Polish apples.
"Almost
all the animals eat fruits and vegetables except for those who eat fish,"
said Moscow Zoo spokeswoman Anna Kachurovskaya.
A northern
fur seal eats a fish in
Moscow Zoo on August 8, 2014 (AFP
Photo/Kirill
Kudryavtsev)
|
With fears
of rising food prices hitting poor Russians, the animals have also been caught
in the crossfire of the tit-for-tat sanctions war with the West over Russian
involvement in Ukraine.
Russian
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday announced the embargo on most food
imports from the EU, the United States and several other countries in a measure
that includes beef, pork, fruit and vegetable produce, poultry, fish, cheese,
milk and dairy products.
The zoo
will now have to find new suppliers, in particular for celery and apples, and
said it is very concerned about feeding the animals in the winter when Russian
produce is not as readily available.
Russian
officials have voiced confidence that new suppliers for most imported products
can be found, although certain items may be difficult to replace quickly.
Apples are
a particular favourite of the zoo's bears, an animal synonymous with Russia
that for many symbolises the country's virility and independence.
"So
the bear eats apples. It used to eat Polish apples, now it will have to eat
Russian ones," Kachurovskaya said. "That is not the problem, the
problem is we are uncertain about what we will have to confront in the
winter."
"In
general we use imported products for the animals for a variety of reasons,
including their preferences as well as cost," Kachurovskaya said.
"We
are looking at what we can do, but it is not going to be easy."
The zoo, a
sprawling grounds in the Moscow city centre which has more than 150 wild
animals, celebrates its 150th anniversary this year.
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