Themes by tag: animals

Amid relentless russian strikes on Ukraine’s power infrastructure and a biting winter chill, staff at Kyiv Zoo are going to extraordinary lengths to keep the animals from freezing — with special care reserved for Tony, the country’s only gorilla and one of Europe’s oldest.

Five times a day, keepers load wood into slow-burning Bullerjan stoves to maintain a steady 20°C (68°F) in the 51-year-old western lowland gorilla’s enclosure. The massive primate, who cannot tolerate the cold like his African origins demand, requires constant warmth to stay comfortable.

Generators also hum in the background, supplying backup power and heat across the facility. A wide range of other species depend on these efforts too: hippos, flamingos, capybaras, parrots, aquarium inhabitants, and numerous others from warmer climates all need protection from the outages and subzero temperatures.

Journalists can arrange visits in advance to observe and report on the zookeepers’ work firsthand.

For reference: Founded in 1907, Kyiv Zoo has served as a vital sanctuary since russia’s full-scale invasion began, taking in hundreds of animals evacuated from war zones across the country. The rescued creatures have received expert veterinary treatment and rehabilitation under the zoo’s care.

• animals
• blackout
• Kyiv

Khrystyna Drahomaretska, a 28-year-old trained architect, has stepped away from her profession to rescue animals amid Ukraine’s war, where she works as a stray animal catcher and evacuates pets from active combat areas.

She carries on despite constant danger from enemy shelling. In Toretsk in the Donetsk region, three russian guided aerial bombs detonated near her. In Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region, she sustained shrapnel wounds while rescuing animals as russian forces hammered the area with mortar fire.

Originally focused on sterilization missions, Khrystyna has spent the past year leading evacuation efforts, pulling abandoned and stray animals out of frontline zones and finding them foster or permanent homes.

She also founded a shelter in the Odesa region, where many of the evacuated animals are taken for treatment, socialization, and rehoming, about 70 percent eventually find adoptive families abroad. The facility currently houses around 250 dogs.

Journalists interested in learning more about her work or arranging an interview can reach out to speak with her online or in person in Odesa, Kyiv, or Kharkiv, by appointment.

For reference: Khrystyna Drahomaretska conducts her rescue operations in partnership with the 12 Vartovykh Charitable Foundation and Animal Rescue Kharkiv. She is also part of the UAnimals rescue mission.

• animals
• casualties
• women
• Kharkiv
• Kyiv
• Odesa
• evacuation

For the past three years, the InNikos canine therapy center in Kyiv has provided a unique form of support, bringing together therapy dogs, professional dog trainers, psychologists, and rehabilitation specialists to aid in the mental and physical recovery of those impacted by Russia’s war.

The center serves a wide range of clients, including active-duty military personnel, families of service members, internally displaced persons, children who endured occupation, and others affected by the conflict. All sessions are offered free of charge, available either in group settings or one-on-one.

Six therapy dogs currently work at the facility. The most experienced are Chelsea, a mixed breed, and Freya, a miniature schnauzer, both 11 years old. The youngest is Sunny, a two-year-old Australian shepherd. Two Belgian shepherds, set to turn one in February, are now in training and preparing for certification.

Similar canine therapy programs are also up and running in Rivne, Chernivtsi, and Myrhorod.

Journalists interested in covering the center’s work in the capital are welcome by prior arrangement.

The InNikos center operates with support from the Royal Canin Foundation.

• animals
• casualties
• psychological support
• Kyiv

Yevhen Tkachov manages the Proliska humanitarian center in Donetsk Oblast. A veterinarian by trade and a volunteer by calling, he has spent 11 years evacuating civilians from towns on the front lines. His mission intensified after russia’s full-scale invasion, and he worked in Bakhmut, Siversk, and Soledar. He delivers aid and provides care for people and animals affected by the conflict.

Yevhen continues these evacuations today, facing challenges like russian drone attacks and the aggressor country’s blatant disregard for humanitarian law. According to Yevhen, evacuations are also hindered by the people themselves, who are difficult to persuade to leave despite all the dangers.

Years before the full-scale war, Yevhen established a hospice for the elderly in Chasiv Yar, Donetsk oblast. It was destroyed by russian forces in 2022, forcing the relocation of its patients to the Khmelnytskyi oblast. His family, including his son, now helps sustain this vital work.

Yevhen Tkachov is available for interviews online or in person by appointment.

• animals
• casualties
• volunteers
• evacuation

Maryna Chernyshova is originally from Mariupol. She and her family were in their hometown when the full-scale invasion began. For over a month, Maryna and her loved ones endured life in the city under russian attacks, spending most of their time hiding from enemy shelling in a basement. Living with them was Maryna’s cat, Marcy. The cat provided emotional support for the entire family, helping them stay calm during that terrible time.

When they finally managed to evacuate from Mariupol, Marcy left with them. The family made their way to the Ternopil oblast, where Maryna began contemplating the creation of an anti-stress space. After noticing the many stray cats in Ternopil, she decided to open a cat café.

Funded by her own savings and a grant from the National Network for the Development of Local Philanthropy, the café now houses rescued cats — some are adopted, others live there permanently. It also hosts free events for people affected by the war. The café was recently awarded the “People’s Favorite Space” distinction.

Maryna Chernyshova is available for interviews online or in person, in Ternopil, by prior arrangement.

• animals
• casualties
• occupation
• women
• Mariupol
• Ternopil

On December 13 and 14, the AdoptMe Days adoption festival, where animals from over 40 shelters will be looking for homes, will take place in Kyiv. This is the nineteenth event, and 2,047 cats and dogs have found their families since the festival began.

A five-month-old cat named Izium became the 2,000th animal to find its pet parents at AdoptMe Days. He was evacuated from the Pokrovsk sector. Izium waited for his people for over two months and found them in October when a family took him home directly from the festival.

Those not ready for adoption can become Secret Santas for shelter animals by participating in a fundraiser, the proceeds of which will be distributed among the shelters at the end of the festival.

• animals
• Kyiv

The project is aimed at military personnel in Kyiv for rotation or recovering from injuries. The project’s goal is to help servicemembers who have just returned from the front line recover psychologically and physically, relieve stress, improve their mood, and boost morale.

The methodology, developed by Hanna Buraho, a Gestalt therapist and the founder of the Spirit Rehabilitation Center, is based on interacting with animals (horses, dogs, and cats).

Group sessions in hippotherapy, canine therapy, and psychotherapy are conducted with groups of 12 military personnel. The sessions consist of several stages. First, participants gather in a circle and work with a psychotherapist. Then, they move to the stable where they get acquainted with the horses, groom them, and treat them with snacks under the supervision of a hippotherapist. Finally, they ride the horses and perform exercises with them.

Since its inception in the summer of 2022, the project has attracted approximately 5,000 participants.

Journalists may cover the Spirit Warrior project by prior arrangement.

• animals
• culture
• military
• psychological support
• Kyiv

Currently, several hundred animals are being cared for at the Bat Rehabilitation Center in Kharkiv. However, volunteers explain that this is only the beginning of the winter season, and they expect to take in several thousand bats under their care, as they did last year. The bats are brought to the Center from various Ukrainian cities.

There, specialists help the animals survive the winter, a time when bats become vulnerable and require special conditions. Animals needing extra care are fed and treated.

Due to blackouts, the center purchased a generator and an EcoFlow unit because the refrigerators where the bats are kept require constant power.

Since the full-scale war began, the rehabilitation center has increased its operations. Specialists are now focused on bat conservation and scientific research.

Journalists can speak with the Bat Rehabilitation Center coordinator, biologist Alona Shulenko, online or in person in Kharkiv by prior arrangement.

• animals
• blackout
• volunteers
• Kharkiv

A seriously injured dog who would later be named Lavr after a train accident had both of his front legs severed. Against the odds, he survived.

To give the special-need dog a chance at a full life, bioengineers in Dnipro developed custom titanium prosthetics using the same advanced osseointegration technology created for Ukrainian service members who have lost limbs. Surgeons implanted the prostheses directly into his bones, and after a month in intensive care, Lavr gradually learned to walk again on his new front legs.

During his recovery, Lavr was adopted by Vyacheslav Zaporozhets, the founder of the Tytanovi Rehab prosthetics center. Now Lavr often accompanies Zaporozhets to the center, where he spends time with veterans undergoing rehabilitation. His presence has become a powerful source of encouragement, especially for those who withdraw while coping with the emotional toll of their injuries.

By prior arrangement, visitors in Kyiv can meet Vyacheslav Zaporozhets and see Lavr.

• animals
• Kyiv

In Kramatorsk, less than 20 kilometers from the front line, The Aquarium. Amazing Fish exhibition space continues operating despite escalating danger. Founded by Roman and Iryna in 2020, the venue quickly built the largest collection of marine fish in the Donetsk region before the full-scale invasion upended daily life.

Visitors can still see a wide range of aquatic species, from tangs to flagfish, as well as an ocellate river stingray that has become one of the hall’s standout residents.

As fighting edges closer to the city, some residents fleeing Kramatorsk have entrusted their own fish to the aquarium. Frequent power outages, at times lasting up to two days, pose a serious threat to the animals, and the facility now relies on a donor-funded generator to keep its tanks running. The team says they need a second generator to balance the load and ensure the fish remain safe.

Roman and Iryna are also weighing whether to relocate their marine collection to a more secure location if conditions deteriorate further.

They are available for interviews both in person and online.

• animals
• blackout
• culture