Rostislav Shilo was born on 23 October 1940 in
Dalnerechensk. His father was a biologist. During
World War II his family moved to
Novosibirsk. In 1961, Shilo graduated from
veterinarian vocational school in
Kuybyshev and went to work for the
Novosibirsk Zoo. In 1962, Shilo
was drafted into the
Soviet Armed Forces. He served in radio-technical military unit in the
Russian Far East and
was demobbed in 1965. After military service, Shilo returned to the Novosibirsk Zoo. He was soon appointed head of the
mammals section and also became a сhairman of the trade union committee. In 1969–1972, Shilo was interim acting director of the Novosibirsk Zoo. In 1972, Shilo was appointed director of the Novosibirsk Zoo, a post he held until his death. In 1975, Shilo graduated from the
Novosibirsk Agricultural Institute with a
specialist degree in
zootechnics. The most significant contribution of Rostislav Shilo to the Novosibirsk Zoo development was the relocation to a new area in the
Zayeltsovsky District. This process, began in 1979, took a long time, and faced many organizational and financial problems, especially in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The new zoo opened its doors to visitors in 1993, but the final relocation was completed in 2005. The zoo at once became a tourist attraction for Novosibirsk residents and visitors. Simultaneously with the relocation, the zoo was conducting the extensive scientific research work for a
cultivation and preservation of
endangered species. Shilo is the author of 50 scientific works and 9 scientific discoveries. In 1987, Shilo was awarded the honorary title of “Honoured worker of culture of
RSFSR". Since 2000, Shilo was a member of Novosibirsk's city council. On 29 June 2007 (Novosibirsk City Day), Shilo became the
honorary resident of the city. Rostislav Shilo died on 26 April 2016 in
Meshalkin clinic. He is buried in
Zayeltsovskoye Cemetery. ==Family==