A venusarium (Russian: венерарий, vyenyerariy) is a type of zoo which houses Venusian animals and plants in an enclosed environment. The first of these parts were opened in the Soviet Union and the United States in the early 2000s as many Venusian species were able to be transported to Earth. Unlike traditional zoos, venusariums are required to be completely enclosed as to avoid both interplanetary contamination and to create an environment necessary to support Venusian life on Earth.