Sorry for poor quality, didn't want to atract attention to myself while taking picture.
The zoo uses some of its animals as photo props for a reasonable price.
Species used are: boa constrictor, radiated tortoise, blue-and-gold macaw, eagle owl (hand-raised), etc.
While this seems legal since animals belong to the zoo collection, they may be stressed by such work and eventually become aggressive.
Moreover, such cool experience can encourage people to take photos with illegally owned exotic animals at city streets, without seeing any difference. This business is thriving in many Russian cities, especially southern resort ones as Sochi, Anapa etc. Species range from common reptiles as iguanas to apes and big cat cubs, such animals are often terribly abused, and their owners easily acquire another if one dies too soon.
Such zoo photoshoot is not a conservation-friendly activity - they just make money without explaining the darker side of that practice.
Those animals should better have served as ambassadors in paid education programs.
What is your opinion?
