Is the Zoo's 'Mafia' Dead? Scandalous Decision by the City Hall

Scandals surrounding the Yerevan Zoo continue unabated, as tension remains high today. Zoo employees refuse to work with Arevik Mkrtchyan, who is regarded as the right hand of former director Ruben Khachatryan. According to media reports, Khachatryan and Mkrtchyan implemented a range of murky mechanisms and schemes, which the Yerevan municipality and relevant authorities overlooked.

Specifically, it is mentioned that Mkrtchyan personally organized fundraising from international organizations and individuals, the fate of which remains unknown. Lurer.com reports that the Yerevan municipality did not conduct an audit at the time of Ruben Khachatryan's departure, nor did it rush to change the zoo's management system.

A draft to create a management council for the zoo and implement amendments to its charter was left frozen. The obstacles in forming the zoo management council and overlooking the decisions of the Yerevan City Council are directly manifested by the former deputy mayor of Yerevan, Tigran Virabyan, who coordinated that area.

Today, the municipality appoints a person as the head of the zoo who has participated in corrupt transactions as the zoo's international relations officer and was previously dismissed from his position for an unreasonable cause of not attending work. The fact that this individual has no connection to the zoo and its management is also evidenced by his registered page on LinkedIn.

What is known about Ruben Khachatryan's shady dealings? Zoo employees claim that Khachatryan insisted there were no specialists in Armenia; therefore, he invited foreign specialists for the treatment of animals, incurring significant expenses. Only a very small portion of the funds disbursed was allocated to veterinarians, while a much larger sum ended up with Ruben Khachatryan, indicating a serious corrupt scheme. However, this scheme went unaddressed, as Khachatryan had close ties with then-Minister of Environment Erik Grigoryan.

Another example is the illegal 'zoo' operating in public areas of the zoo, known as 'Kinderd Zoo.' For a while, this area provided paid services, illegally bringing in various animals and generating income through this establishment. Citizens paid 500 drams per person, entered the 'Kinderd Zoo' area, and interacted with animals of unknown origin, such as pigs, goats, tortoises, and monkeys brought from other places. Khachatryan turned a blind eye to all of this.

There are rumors that illegal sales of animals were regularly conducted at the zoo, and to conceal this, the management claimed that the animals had died. Noteworthy examples include the controversial incidents involving lions and deer. For more details, visit the source site.