Halloween is the most mystical night of the year. This holiday is celebrated from October 31 to November 1. In Mykolaiv Zoo, lovers of this holiday can immerse themselves in the bright atmosphere and see many "mystical" animals. We have already talked about some of them this week, and you can find out interesting information about some others right now.
Probably, everyone has heard about the "dark essence" of the wolf, which is associated with the moon and loud singing. It was believed that the wolf belongs to the world of the dead and tells its secrets. Also, the werewolf is a frequent hero of mythological stories – a person transformed into a wolf, who retained his full consciousness, but outwardly looked like a beast. In fact, wolves play an important role in nature as the true health workers of the forest. With all its strength, a wolf cannot cope with an adult healthy deer or wild boar. More often, wolves choose weakened or sick animals. Thus, they prevent the development of epidemics in their victims.
A bat, according to mythological ideas, is a distant descendant of a dragon. It is an evil spirit, or the soul of a sleeping sorcerer, circling in search of sinners who have sold their souls to the devil. There is a belief that if a bat flies into the house, it portends trouble. But these animals, about which we have already written several times, are an extremely important component in nature, destroying thousands of insects.
Residents of Madagascar – lemurs, are also on our list. In ancient Rome, lemurs were the souls of the dead who did not find peace in the realm of the dead and returned to the world of the living at night. The cry of the black-and-white ruffed lemur sounds like the terrible laughter of a madman and frightens everyone who hears it. But the indigenous inhabitants of Madagascar consider lemurs to be sacred creatures that cannot be killed under any circumstances. It's a pity that such traditional beliefs are increasingly becoming a thing of the past, and the wonderful and interesting animals of lemurs have become rare.
Of course, this list would not be complete without the helper of all witches and wizards – the black raven. Many call the raven a mediator between life and death. Also, it is known as the bird that brings death on the battlefield. But in folklore there is also a saying "wise as a raven". And indeed, a raven is considered an extremely intellectual bird. Ravens know how to calculate options, solve puzzles, make plans for the future, deceive for their own benefit and communicate, including with other species.
Since ancient times, the image of an owl has been endowed with magical protective power. Different peoples of the world used talismans in the shape of an owl to protect against otherworldly forces. Owls are interesting birds to observe, our "good neighbors", which are of great importance in nature, regulating the number of rodents, as well as our next "mystical hero" – snakes.
Since ancient times, people have endowed the snake with magical properties. For example, shed skin was used to fumigate patients with fever, it was used to prevent toothaches, and solutions were made for hair growth. There is even a belief that one cannot kill snakes, because their descendants will take revenge.
Environmentalists always use Halloween as a reason to once again tell people about animals that we consider "scary", "evil", being in fact an important part of the ecosystem and a wonderful creature of nature! Mykolaiv Zoo was no exception. We conducted a themed online class for young biologists, showing "animals that are not loved", told you about them and, of course, everyone who wants to see the mystical animals from this list with their own eyes, we invite you to join us for an interesting walk!
