A crocodile swims in a polluted lagoon at the Havana Zoo.
An empty fountain with a broken statue of girls holding a rabbit at the Havana Zoo.
An empty concrete cage with rusted bars in the monkey area of the Havana Zoo.
A chimpanzee male, holding the rusted bars of its cage, screams wildly at the Havana Zoo.
An empty and unmaintained concrete bear pit at the Havana Zoo.
A Cuban girl walks along the concrete cage with a hyena at the Havana Zoo.
A rusted sign of the children's amusement park at the Havana Zoo.
A griffon vulture sits on a branch stub in a small bird enclosure at the Havana Zoo.
The entrance gate to the Havana Zoo decorated with a large typographic sculpture.
Havana Zoo
Havana, Cuba – 12 February 2011
The largest and the oldest zoo in Cuba (founded in 1939) is located in a centric neighborhood of the capital. Since the 1990s Cuba struggles with chronic economic crisis and therefore the strong marks of rundown and lack of sources are evident within the whole zoological garden. A lot of cages are empty and out of use for long time, the remaining animals are captured in poorly maintained pits. Concrete enclosures have no vegetation, all facilities are unkept. The food supply is often inadequate and visitors throw junkfood to the animals because there are no zookeepers around.
good work keep it up
afiya
02.06.2022 – 19:41
Our family visited the ZOO this year (2018) and it was quite fund, except the concrete cages that could be very hot. See photos here: https://cubafriendly.com/havana-zoo-2018/
Primoz
19.08.2018 – 22:34
I visited Cuba a few years ago. These pictures capture the economic feeling of the country - so very different to the spirit of the people.
Graham
25.01.2015 – 16:49
Jan Sochor is really master photographer. Strangely, the ZOO photos are somehow much more depressing than images of violence and despair from the other collections like Columbia, etc. The impression of poverty and deprivation is very strong here.
Petra
07.11.2011 – 14:36
The monkey shot is absolutely superb! Some great work here.
Wedding photographers Surrey
28.10.2011 – 06:46
awesome skill - stunning captures - master compositions = soul and spirit of Jan Sochor's Great Photography Art!Salute and Thanks!iva
iva
08.07.2011 – 08:18
What an interesting place to photograph. Love the monkey shot - well captured!Nick
London Wedding Photographer
05.07.2011 – 16:13