Rare Russian animals have appeared at the Moscow Zoo – a striped couscous and two echidnas. This was reported in the zoo's press service, which published photos of the new residents. As the zoo clarified, the nocturnal animals have arrived from Australia and are currently on the office premises under the supervision of experts. In the future, they plan to exhibit striped couscous. The press agency noted that such species are extremely rare in zoos in Eurasia, and they are not kept anywhere else in Russia. The striped Cuscus (pictured left and right) is a marsupial mammal native to the tropical rainforests of Australia and Oceania. It spends most of its life in trees, is active mainly at night, and feeds on fruits, leaves, and insects. Moscow Zoo had experience raising these animals about ten years ago and the arriving individual was a female. The Australian echidna (pictured in the middle) is considered one of the most unusual mammals. They can pick up electrical signals from underground mining operations. The zoo emphasizes that keeping echidnas requires special conditions, including temperature and humidity control and specially prepared diets. Moscow Zoo General Director Svetlana Akulova said the organization had the necessary experience to work with these species and planned to continue scientific research involving Australian animals.
