It happened! Part 1. Novosibirsk.
On August 8 of this year, what I could not have imagined two years ago finally happened — I visited every zoo with manuls in Russia.
Novosibirsk, Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Izhevsk, Krasnoyarsk, and Barnaul.
How it all began
Most likely, my first “encounter” with manuls was in 2013, when in winter I went to the Moscow Zoo and, it seems, there lay a manul, curled up into a fluffy ball. I never saw its face.
Then there was a long break; the manul theme passed me by. And then suddenly — a manul is born at the Leningrad Zoo (2023). Photos of little Shu swept across the entire progressive internet. And I just happened to be in Saint Petersburg in August. After 16 hours, already quite tired, I went there, and I was lucky. Little Shu was very active, constantly running up to the fence, but his mother quickly put him in his place. That was my first truly conscious manul-watching. But the breakthrough came in 2023 (experts may correct me), when the video about Bol and Polly titled “When Your Wife Is in a Bad Mood” went viral in my news feed and absolutely refused to disappear (I don’t know whether the link will appear, but I think many people know and love this video).
I marveled at how fierce Bol’s little face looked; apparently, he was getting the worst of it from his wife. Now I know how organic it all was). My feed was now full of all kinds of manuls. I learned that there were lots of them in Novosibirsk. And so in 2024 came the first videos of manul kittens. That year, Lolo and Eva had babies. And I made a decision that fit me in absolutely no way whatsoever — to go to Novosibirsk! To see such an abundance of manuls with my own eyes. So September 2024 can be considered the beginning of my manul pilgrimage.
Trips to Novosibirsk
So far, I’ve been to the manul capital 7 times.
September is the time for fattening up; manuls become more active, and skipping a meal is absolutely not an option — meat, meat, meat! Watching the families at this moment is pure delight! How they snatch it, how they dash off at the speed of Jamaican sprinters. And if two manul kittens happen to grab one piece of meat or a mouse, then you really have to fight for it so the meat stays in your teeth)
Spring (I was there in February, March, and April). February and March are mating season. But I didn’t manage to see it in all its glory. First, it’s cold. Second, all the action and youthful antics begin after feeding, when it’s already getting dark and the zoo is open until 7 p.m., so it’s time to leave. But I still managed to hear the boys’ songs for the girls. And of course, the signature hissing)
April 18, 2026 — Grey’s birthday (the son of Zelenogrsk and Miya) — 1 year old. And I spontaneously decide — I’m going! The birthday boy was magnificent — he walked a lot, posed, and ate.
Summer. This year I went in July for the first time; I simply couldn’t miss the little ones at that age. In summer, before noon, the babies are in a sleepy kingdom. What do they do at night?) But after 6 p.m., the games began. The bravest ones came up to the fence
Of course, the older manuls also gave me incredible hours of observation — Anya, Gabi, Ruf, Mensu, and other residents of the Novosibirsk Zoo. Matriarch Lastochka honored us with her attention, Miya gave us a measuring look, and Marik kept up his water intake.
December. A trip that chilled body and soul. By evening it had dropped to minus 30. We had to run into enclosed spaces to warm up. But the furry balls were worth it.
Comments 2
Самые пышные зимние манулы на другом носителе, но вот фото из самодельного календаря на 26 год. Ух, какие зимние меховые шарики
Prrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!