The “Scientific Center for Zoology and Hydroecology” of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia (NAS) is the only scientific and cultural unit that presents the unique animal world of Armenia in the most comprehensive way. It houses over 1,200 invertebrate specimens and more than 550 vertebrate animals native to Armenia. The zoological museum is an educational subdivision, with its most important task being the collection and display of rare species that hold scientific and historical value for the recognition and study of Armenia’s animal life. The museum was founded in the 1920s.