Meet Nitsa, Elvis and Oliver: Pine martens at Tbilisi Zoo. Video
Nitsa, Elvis and Oliver are young pine martens and the newest residents of Tbilisi Zoo. A local resident found the orphaned cubs alone in an attic and took them home after discovering they had no mother.
However, pine martens are wild predators with powerful teeth and strong natural instincts. Once the cubs had grown up, releasing them back into the wild was no longer an option. Contact with humans had altered their natural behaviour, leaving them unable to survive on their own. Their rescuer therefore turned to Tbilisi Zoo for help.
Konstantin Pkhakadze, head of the zoo’s exotic animals department, said the pine martens arrived at Tbilisi Zoo about a month ago. He said such cases are quite common. People often assume that young animals found alone have been orphaned and need rescuing, but that is not always the case.
In most instances, the mother is nearby, hunting, searching for food or moving her young to a new location. Pkhakadze said intervening at that stage is the biggest mistake people can make. They should not even approach the cubs, as the mother may detect the scent of humans, see it as a threat and never return to her offspring.
Tbilisi Zoo currently has very limited capacity to take in new animals. Its existing site is overcrowded, while most of its resources are being directed towards the construction of a new zoo.
Nitsa, Elvis and Oliver were initially housed in the zoo’s exotics pavilion. However, the small enclosed space was unsuitable for such active and energetic animals. Zoo staff therefore built a temporary outdoor enclosure, giving the pine martens more space, fresh air and room to move freely.
Tbilisi Zoo‘s history spans nearly a century. It was founded on 10 February 1927 on the basis of the Caucasian Society for the Acclimatisation of Animals, which had been keeping wild animals since the early 20th century, though without official zoo status.
The zoo was originally built on 70 hectares in the Vere River gorge. Over the years, the expansion of the capital — and later the devastating flood of 13 June 2015 — significantly reduced the territory of the old zoo. Today, it covers five hectares and is home to around 1,500 animals, each with its own story.
In this video series, we will introduce you to the residents of Tbilisi Zoo. We will show how their day unfolds, how they interact with other animals and people, and how their behaviour changes depending on the weather and the season. Get ready to hear many fascinating stories.
Pine martens at Tbilisi Zoo
