There are places in the Moscow zoo where one can see the fauna of various continents. The exposition "South America " is situated near the Main Entrance. Guanaco, capybara and the smallest of all swans – coscoroba swan, represent three species from Southern America here.


In nature coscoroba swan COSCOROBA COSCOROBA (ANATIDAE) nests in the south of South America and often along the seacoasts. Its beak is smaller than in others swans, but allows to filter the bigger water volumes.
Coscoroba builds nest from a plant material, and covers the tray with its own down, which is more dense than in other swans. The clutch consists on average of 7 eggs; the hatching lasts about 35 days.
Coscoroba feeds on seeds of aqueous plants and on small aqueous animals, foraging more often on shallows, but sometimes also on the land.
In summer coscorobas are kept in the exposition "South America ", and in winter they are moved to warm rooms. In our zoo coscorobas live for a long time, but never breed.


Guanaco (LAMA GLAMA GUANICOE) (CAMELIDAE) – inhabits semiarid areas of highland plateaus of South America. Its domesticated descendants are lama and alpaca. All of them closely resemble a camel, except for back humps. Guanaco is well adapted to severe conditions of mountains.
We obtain the offspring from guanaco every year and young of different age have enlarged the small herd.


Capybara (HYDROCHOERIS HYDROCHAERIS) (HYDROCHAERIDAE) is the largest rodent. Its body length is up to 1,5 meters and weight up to 60 kg. Capybara resembles a beaver and it is not surprising, as both species are aquatic. Capybara is a perfect swimmer. Its diet consists of grasses and nearwater plants. In the Moscow zoo capybaras are regularly breeding and in summer it is possible to observes their charming young.