In Ukraine’s largest zoo, animals are under fire from Russian troops. Many animals that are protected species are also said to be in danger.
Mykolaiv – An end of the Ukraine conflict* Cannot be foreseen even more than a month after the start of the war. Not only people suffer from the attack Russia* on Ukraine. in the Ukraine war* a new exhibit has been added to the museum of the largest zoo in Ukraine: the rocket that fell on the third day of the Russian attack in Mykolaiv Zoo – between the polar bear and tiger enclosures. People and animals were not injured, but the zoo director fears for the lives of his protégés.
The country’s largest zoo in the south of the city is home to around 4,000 animals Ukraine*. Almost half of the approximately 400 species represented here are on the international Red List of Threatened Species, said director Volodymyr Topchyji of AFP. He would like to keep the animals safe. “But there aren’t enough vehicles to transport the animals, and the only road to Odessa is blocked with traffic,” Topchyi said. “It’s also still very cold.” Giraffes, elephants and hippos could freeze to death during their transport. the end Kyiv* had animal protection organizations already under difficult conditions Animals from the zoo were driven from Ukraine to Poland and taken to safety.*
War in Ukraine: Bombs hit zoo – zoo animals are stuck
Mykolayiv is heavily contested. For Wladimir Putin* the city not far from the Black Sea is strategically important to reach the port city of Odessa by land. Most of Mykolaiv’s 500,000 residents have fled.
Escape is also out of the question for the zoo director and his staff, they don’t want to abandon the animals. Toptschyji praises the commitment of the approximately one hundred employees as “heroic”. Many even sleep at the zoo to avoid dangerous trips around the city.
The zoologist Viktor Dyakonov now also lives in the zoo with his wife, a veterinarian. As the sirens once again warn of air raids, he features the Amur leopard, “the rarest subspecies” of the species. The big cat nervously strokes the bars of the cage. It is difficult to tell whether the leopard is so restless because of the noise or because of the first visitor in weeks, says Dyakonow.
The Deutsche Tierparkgesellschaft (DTG) has offered support and help to its colleagues in Ukraine. “After Putin’s insidious attack on Ukraine, our thoughts are with the people there!” DTG said. “As a zoo association, our thoughts are of course primarily with our zoo colleagues, their families and the animals! That’s why we want to help in a concrete way!” We are in direct contact with our colleagues in the Ukraine.
War in Ukraine: Zoo animals stranded in contested city
The attacks by Russia also mean stress for the animals. After the first, more rockets hit the site, near the administration building and into an aviary. According to the employees, these were outlawed cluster bombs, the contents of which often only exploded long after they were dropped.
However, most of the animals are doing well, says animal keeper Olga, while watching the female hippo Rikky swimming. “Our animals eat and reproduce,” says zoo director Topchyji. On March 8, a female leopard gave birth to a cub amid heavy bombardment. “It’s spring, that’s when the births begin.” Mykolaiv Zoo has been closed to visitors for more than three weeks. However, tickets will continue to be sold. Friends of the zoo, which is more than 120 years old, buy them to support the zoo in times of war. (afp/df) * fr.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
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