Moscow Zoo implements animal-assisted therapy for children.

      Treatment program through communication with animals will be launched in Moscow Zoo. Zoo commercial director Svetlana Akulova reported at the meeting with journalists: "Now we are developing programs for children with issues in mental and physical development, because we have got extensive resources for animal-assisted therapy". According to her, this work is being developed into contact with Department of Social Protection for the Moscow City Population.

      There is animal-assisted therapy for blind and autistic children. In the zoo they can pat domestic sheep, goats, foals, guinea pigs, chickens, hamsters and take them in arms. "We need to come to an agreement with social protection department to have everything set up, because us, for instance, we cannot carry by buses those children, who have health problems, on our own”, she explained.

      Aside of that, the zoo plans to open two mother-and-child rooms, where women will be able to warm up food for their babies, reswadle them, change clothes, relax and spend some time with their children.