Good afternoon.
I want to draw your attention, as before, I spoke with my art about protecting the environment and ecology. And now I’m even more worried about the animals that live in different parks and not only in parks, but also wild animals that get scared, are in danger from air attacks, from artillery shelling of Russian invaders in Ukraine.
Animals are very scared, and I think they are even more scared than humans.
In KyivZoo, they say that the situation is difficult, as in the whole country, because of Russian aggression. Neither the zoo staff nor the numerous animals are accustomed to air raid signals, and even more so to the explosions of shells, shooting and the rumble of downed rockets over the city. All this affects the psyche of people and animals. Kyivzoo assures that all animals are safe.
“In the early days of the war, the elephant Horace was very afraid of explosions and air raid signals. For about a week he had to be given a sedative, the same applies to zebras. They were very scared. We still give sedatives to animals,” the general director tells the Segodnya website KyivZoo Kirill Trantin. The zoo turned to German colleagues for help. A week ago, a humanitarian convoy arrived in Kyiv, and with it sedatives for the elephant. He is very nervous and not used to such terrible sounds.
The zoo also strengthened veterinary control over the condition of animals in war conditions. They monitor the behaviour of their pets.
“For almost a month, our caretaker has been living with the elephant Horace in the next room. She monitors his condition and even feeds him at night. Fortunately, everything is fine with the elephant in the last two weeks, but the night watch near him continues. And a roar from rocket explosions is heard,” they tell us at the zoo.
Steadfastly endures all the hardships of the war and the only gorilla in Ukraine is male Tony, who is 47 years old. He lives in his winter enclosure. To him is always the increased attention of the zoo staff. The zoo managed to get fresh banana leaves and a box of pineapples, the gorilla eats with pleasure and looks good.
Because of the shooting in the city, the female lemur abandoned a newborn baby, who was named Bayraktar. She had two babies. She feeds one herself. And Bayraktar weighs 30% less.
Zoo staff feed the baby by hand. He was born very weak and could not hold on to his mother. Therefore, in order to save the baby, they became his family. Now he is under quite constant, round-the-clock care of zoologists and veterinarians stand round-the-clock care of zoologists and veterinarians. Bayraktar is growing, gaining weight and loves to relax with his favorite soft toy.
Several pairs of pelicans have laid eggs this year. The zoo was already hoping to get a new offspring. But alas, night attacks over the city and shelling frightened the birds, they crushed the eggs.
In the Dergachevsky district of the Kharkiv region, Russian shells hit the territory of the Feldman Ecopark, as a result of shells hitting animals were killed and wounded.
Feldman Ecopark was founded in 2011. It contains more than 2 thousand animals of 300 species, a significant part of them are rare and endangered, it is noted on the website of the institution.
Due to the constant shelling of the invaders, two kangaroos were killed in the eco-park on March 9, 2022, the zoo is in the line of fire and the Russian occupiers are constantly shelling it. Unfortunately, trying to feed the animals is life-threatening. During the feeding, two zoo employees have already died. Some of the animals were taken home by the eco-park owner. “My house has turned into Noah’s ark, I myself have become a little Mazai. In every room, in every corner, someone lives. Marabou, turtles live in the pool. There is someone on the bed, under the bed. I sleep next to the monkeys, I have four crates of animals on my feet,” Feldman said. According to him, work is underway to remove animals from the eco-park.
Also, as a result of shelling on March 20, twenty deer escaped from the eco-park in the forest, which is located nearby. Animal rights activists urge hunters not to touch the animals. Nine more deer died under the rubble. Runaways are able to adapt to new conditions and survive in the wild because they can feed themselves. Animals are accustomed to people, so they can let them close to them. Animal rights activists urge hunters not to use these animal habits and not to killdeer. “We remain people, help each other and those who are not able to help themselves!
March 17 As a result of mortar shelling, the winter enclosures of great apes were destroyed, two orangutans and a chimpanzee were killed.
In addition, as a result of the shelling, enclosures were destroyed and some animals, in particular wolves, escaped, some were killed.
Some Animals were evacuated temporarily sent to the Poznan Zoo On March 18, the tiger Simba and the tigress Shani were evacuated from Ukraine to Poland, as well as six Arctic foxes from the Dnieper, three raccoons, sew cats, two dogs and two lions.
Also in the Kyiv region, the Russian invaders burned the stable: the horses were burned alive. March 13, 2022. Of the 32 horses, 5-7 survived – now they are between Gostomel and Bucha. The owner of the stable was unable to enter the stable on the first day of the full-scale Russian invasion, February 24th. And soon, on March 1, the Russian invaders who got into the territory of the complex ordered the grooms to leave the complex and threatened to shoot the animals. The stable was bombed, and our horses were burned alive installs. There was no one to save them, it was impossible to break through to them because the racists firmly settled in Bucha, Gostomel, Irpen, not letting ordinary girls to their horses. the Russians seized the stable and stayed there for almost ten days, “after which they smashed it to pieces.”
In the Kyiv region, the Park of XII months was “hostage” by the occupiers: animals are dying of hunger March 09, 2022, There is no light, heat, fuel and communication with the outside world at the zoo Currently, this territory is actually cut off from the whole world. The bridges around are destroyed. The way to Kyiv is blocked. 300 animals and zoo workers were literally held, hostage. Some animals, unfortunately, died. There is no electricity in their territory for about 6 days. And on the morning of March 8, gas supplies also stopped. At the same time, there are many heat-loving animals in the park, which, at low temperatures, begin to get sick and die.
“Now we don’t have diesel stocks at all,” says Pinchuk. “There are animals that, at temperatures below +15, will start to get sick during noon. It will be impossible to return them to normal. today.” The situation with food is also critical, it is still impossible to bring anything to the park. Animals – on reduced rations. According to Pinchuk, some of the animals have already died from the attacks. “During the bombardment, some animals began to rush about, fight and kill themselves.” Park workers are trying to take out of the cordon at least those animals that are not difficult to transport in their hands, but so far the attempts have not been successful. The Russian side does not release anyone. “We don’t understand how to get there,” says Pinchuk. “Yesterday we tried – it’s impossible. We tried to get someone out of there – it’s very difficult and we didn’t succeed.
In the Kyiv region, animal rights activists managed to transfer food to the Park for XII Months On March 13, the zoo received flour products, vegetables, fruits and meat, the animal protection NGO URSA reports on Facebook.
A Russian shell hit the Mykolaiv Zoo on the morning of March 7, a shell from the Russian Federation troops hit the enclosures where tigers and polar bears live. Animals have not been injured The projectile damaged only the road surface a few meters from the fences of the animals’ dwellings.
This is just some of the information I was able to find to share with you. Below I am attaching my art photos with animals made on the territory of Ukraine earlier. You can help me by buying an art photo acrylic glass or printing on other material, you can contact me on artsy (https://www.artsy.net/artist/elena-bandurka )
, there is a print on Saatchi (https://www.saatchiart.com/elenabandurka ), or send me to email Ebandurka@elenabandurka
I left my city of Kharkiv, where every day the city and the region are under attack, my building burned down from a bomb hit, from which I previously had a stable income. I want to help people and I also need to help my relatives, my family. I believe in a bright future and thank you for everything!!!!
Artist Elena Bandurka 