Themes by tag: animals

On the night of March 3, a russian drone strike hit the Feldman Ecopark in the Kharkiv oblast, causing animal casualties and damage to park facilities. According to park staff, there were three direct hits, two of which hit the central area of the park.

Five domestic animals in the petting zoo area were injured. Two goats, previously evacuated from a combat zone, were killed — one of them pregnant.

Windows were shattered in several park buildings and enclosures were damaged.

Journalists can receive comments from Ecopark representatives both online and offline upon request.

Background information: Before the russian invasion, Feldman Ecopark was home to about 5,000 animals. When the war broke out, the park came under heavy bombardment, resulting in the deaths of over 300 animals, while some escaped into the wild. Many animals had to be evacuated in order to survive. The park’s infrastructure was severely damaged, and six people involved in evacuating the animals lost their lives.

• animals
• russian crimes
• Kharkiv

The Kyiv Hippodrome, in collaboration with the Kyiv Military Hub, invites combat veterans and service members to participate in free horseback riding lessons. The lessons take place outdoors or in an indoor arena and last 40 minutes. The initiative was launched last November. 74 veterans have already participated in the program.

Journalists can cover the session scheduled for March 4 in Kyiv, upon prior arrangement.

• animals
• culture
• military
• Kyiv

A dog-assisted therapy program to help rehabilitate both military personnel and civilians is currently underway at the Superhumans Center in Lviv. For two weeks, police dogs from the Dog Training Center of the Main Department of the National Police in the Kyiv oblast will work with patients at the center.

The dogs Vanda, Bentley, Ares and Polia worked during the de-occupation of the Kyiv oblast. They were used to search for saboteurs and looters and in demining operations.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, these trained assistance dogs have been actively working in hospitals across the Kyiv region and other areas, providing emotional support to patients. They have undergone special certification and are trained to assist in rehabilitation. Patients can play with, feed and pet the dogs as part of their therapy. The specialists who run the program use unique methods that combine psychological techniques and canine assisted therapy to help patients recover.

Journalists interested in covering these sessions in Lviv next week can arrange access by prior arrangement.

• animals
• casualties
• psychological support
• Lviv

At the Ukrainian Bat Rehabilitation Center in Kharkiv, over three thousand bats are being cared for as part of a critical rescue effort. The center’s team is responsible for rescuing bats from various cities across Ukraine, providing them with much-needed shelter and support.

Specialists at the center focus on helping the animals survive the harsh winter months. During this period, bats are especially vulnerable, requiring special care to ensure their survival. Those in need of additional attention are fed and treated accordingly. Come spring, the center’s team plans to release the rehabilitated bats back into the wild.

Amid the ongoing full-blown war, the center has expanded its operations. The team’s current focus is on bat conservation and scientific research. Looking ahead, the center aims to establish volunteer hubs in other Ukrainian cities to broaden its impact.

Biologist Aliona Shulenko, the coordinator of the Ukrainian Bat Rehabilitation Center, is available for conversations both online and in person in Kharkiv, by prior arrangement.

• animals
• Kharkiv

Maksym Kharkivskyi, a soldier of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, serves on the Zaporizhia front. In the spring of 2023, a bull came to the position of his unit. His comrades reported, “You have visitors,” and Maksym saw the animal approaching them along a mined path.

That same day, Maksym and a fellow soldier led the bull, which they named Martyn, to safety. Maksym began posting videos of the bull on TikTok, and Martyn quickly gained popularity.

Soon after, Maksym’s comrades rescued a wild female boar that had been injured by enemy fire. Maksym took the boar in, named her Mashka, and cared for her until she recovered. She joined Martyn as a social media star.

Thanks to the animals’ popularity, Maksym has been able to support his unit’s needs. He hosts live streams to raise funds, and in just five sessions raised enough money to buy drones worth 100,000 UAH. Maksym affectionately refers to Martyn and Mashka as his “military volunteers”.

You can connect with Maksym Kharkivskyi online or in person by prior arrangement.

• animals
• military

In 2023, Ukrainian Railways launched a dedicated dog training center to bolster the security of Ukraine’s railway transport infrastructure. These highly trained service dogs will work alongside experienced paramilitary security officers, enhancing the protection of critical infrastructure.  

The center focuses on preparing dogs from as young as three months old to detect substances and objects that could pose a threat to public safety. Professional dog handlers employ specialized training techniques to refine the animals’ sense of smell for security tasks.  

According to earlier announcements, the Kyiv-based facility aims to train approximately 30 service dogs annually, with plans to grow the four-legged security force to 1,000.

• animals
• Kyiv

Andrii Leinveber has been passionate about horses since childhood, and bought his first horse at the age of 14. In 2022, he founded his own equestrian club in Melitopol, a city in southern Ukraine. The club offered riding lessons for adults and children, and Andrii also taught jigiting – the art of trick riding.

After russia’s full-scale invasion began, Andrii’s stable was in danger. russian shelling damaged one of the buildings, and Andrii and his friends had to round up frightened horses scattered throughout the city. He took five horses to his home, while the others were cared for by friends.

When Melitopol was occupied by russian troops, the horses faced a new threat: hunger. The city lacked fodder, as the occupiers forbade travel to other settlements for supplies and deliberately destroyed the hay meant for the horses. One day, Andrii himself was captured by the russians. He was held in a cell for two weeks without contact with the outside world. After his release, Andrii decided to evacuate. He managed to take three horses with him, although it took three attempts to leave – twice he was turned back at russian checkpoints.

Now, Andrii has established a new equestrian club in the Odesa oblast, where he takes care of five horses and a pony. He also invites soldiers to participate in equine therapy.

• animals
• occupation
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Odesa

An unusual operation called “HUR-CAT” was carried out by fighters of the Tymur special unit of the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine. The special forces evacuated 15 cats from Snake Island and successfully transported them to the Ukrainian mainland.

The soldiers placed the animals in special carriers and transported them by boat to a safe location. All 15 cats were then delivered to the Sirius shelter in the Kyiv oblast. The animals are now undergoing a period of adjustment and efforts are being made to find them new homes.

Comments from the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence can be arranged by appointment. Journalists are also invited to visit the Sirius sanctuary, meet its founder and see the rescued animals.

Background information: The battle for Snake Island began on 24 February 2022 with a missile attack on the Ukrainian border guard garrison stationed there. The attack destroyed all structures on the island, but the Ukrainian border guards continued to resist. After several hours of fighting, russian forces captured Snake and took its defenders prisoner. The island was liberated on the 30th of June 2022, when powerful attacks by Ukrainian forces forced the russian occupiers to hastily evacuate the remnants of their garrison.

• animals
• military
• Kyiv
• evacuation

Maryna Chernyshova, originally from Mariupol, a city currently under enemy control, lived through the early days of the full-scale invasion alongside her family. The family spent over a month under occupation, seeking shelter from relentless shelling in their basement. During this harrowing period, it was their cat, Marsi, who provided emotional support, offering comfort and helping the family navigate through an incredibly difficult time.

Once they were able to escape Mariupol, Marsi accompanied them as the family relocated to the Ternopil region. There, Maryna found herself inspired to create a space for others in need of emotional relief. Noticing the abundance of stray cats in Ternopil, she decided to open a cat café, a place for people to find solace and relaxation.

With a combination of personal savings and funding from the National Network of Local Philanthropy Development, Maryna launched the café, which is now home to two previously homeless cats. The café offers a variety of activities aimed at providing psychological support to its visitors, including stress-relief meditation sessions led by experts. In the future, Maryna hopes to channel a portion of the café’s profits into building an animal shelter to further help animals in need.

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

Recently, the “Domazhyr” bear sanctuary in the Lviv oblast took in two bears. The sanctuary team received an urgent request to take in these bears from the private zoo “Bilytske” in the Donetsk oblast. The zoo was hit by rocket attacks at the end of September and again in October. Fortunately, Nataliia Popova, founder of the Wild Animals Rescue Center near Kyiv, successfully rescued the two bears and other animals.

The two bears were successfully transported to the Lviv oblast despite all the challenges posed by the war. Currently, the bears are doing well and resting in their bear house. As soon as the necessary documents for their transfer are ready, both bears will move to their permanent homes abroad.

Journalists are welcome to cover the bears’ stay at the sanctuary and to speak with sanctuary staff. The bears will remain at the sanctuary for several more months.

For reference: The Domazhyr Bear Sanctuary is a unique brown bear rescue and rehabilitation center in Ukraine, created with the support of the international charity FOUR PAWS, based in Vienna, Austria.

Since the beginning of the full-scale war, the center has been taking in bears whose lives are in danger. In 2022, for example, the sanctuary took in seven new residents from the Bila Skelia bear sanctuary in Kyiv oblast. They also took in a bear named Bakhmut, who was rescued by the Ukrainian military in Donetsk oblast. He is still living at the sanctuary.

• animals
• Lviv