Solutions from Ukraine: Kharkiv to open Ukraine’s largest animal hospice

A hospice within the eco-park near Kharkiv for injured animals that can no longer survive in the wild is being constructed. The park employees and veterinarians will be responsible for looking after these animals.

Suspilne writes about it.

What is the problem?

The all-out war initiated by Russia in Ukraine is having a severely detrimental impact on the country's environment. It is a true ecological disaster causing suffering for all living creatures. In the areas where fighting occurs, animals aren't simply dying and getting hurt.

Specialists of "Feldman Ecopark" say that they receive reports about birds that could not leave for the winter in warm regions almost every day. They had to arrange a shelter – tiny houses on Swan Lake.

^{Photo: Feldman Ecopark}

The current objective is much broader now – as concerned  Ukrainians seek aid not only for birds. Multiple animals have suffered due to the war:

• some were hurt;
• some animals ended up in further distress;
• children were left without parents.

^{Photo: Feldman Ecopark}

Experts are putting in all their efforts to heal them and get them ready to return to their natural habitat, but sadly, not all will regain their health.

Many animals have suffered severe injuries – special conditions are required for their accommodation.

What is the solution?

Therefore, the eco-park decided to build a hospice for animals that suffered from the war. This will be the largest hospice in all of Ukraine.

Birds and animals will be cared for by park staff and veterinarians.

How does it work?

Work on the construction of the hospice has been ongoing since January 2024, said Ivan Dostov, director of the zoo-veterinary department.

In 2023, Karkusha, the crow, was brought to the eco-park from Kupiansk due to a wing injury that prevented him from flying. To ensure his well-being, he resides in a separate enclosure to avoid any harm from other birds.

"This bird was brought to us from the combat zone. It had a badly injured wing; the animal experienced much stress. Now, it is doing well. We receive many reports about injured animals. These are injuries of various types. We receive many calls from the combat zone. Animals are also injured on the roads," Ivan Dostov says.

The director of the Kharkiv eco-park department notes:

"We received a call from a girl who said that a flock of swans had been directly hit on the river in Kupiansk. Some of them died, and others were bleeding. We plan to take all injured animals from the war zone. Animals that cannot be cured will receive our love and care."

According to him, enclosures for deer, goats, and birds are being built on the territory of the future hospice.

Photo: Olena Klymenko

Separate spaces will be created for domestic dogs and cats.

"We plan to use 20-30 hectares for enclosures; now, we have closed about three hectares. We will carry out the work zonally. First, we will rebuild the enclosures, which do not require large investments. And then we will move on to the construction of the veterinary clinic and the rest of the animal enclosures," explained the director of the eco-park department.

The hospice is set up in the demined part of the eco-park. After the construction is completed, about 2,000 animals will be able to be cared for there. The hospice is planned to open by the end of 2024, Ivan Dostov said.

"Now more than 2,000 poles have been installed; a fencing net is being installed. When there is a lot of snow or rain, it is tough to work," the director noted.

For reference:

Since the beginning of the invasion, Feldman Eco-park has been under Russian fire. As a result, some animals died and ran away. In March 2022, park workers were killed under shelling.

In the spring of 2022, more than 3,500 animals were evacuated from the park.

The announcement about the animals' return and the eco-park restoration appeared in November 2022. It was dangerous to be on the territory of the eco-park due to mines and fragments of shells; the park was 80% destroyed.

On June 1, 2023, a part of the Feldman Eco-park – "Valley of Alpacas" – was opened to visitors. They also gradually began to return animals to the eco-park from evacuation.

Rubryka previously wrote about the destruction of the Feldman eco-park and told how it was saved and which animals had already managed to return there.

Rubryka also reported that unknown individuals killed all the animals in the contact area at Feldman Eco-park near Kharkiv.

The eco-park believes that there has been a mass killing of animals. The autopsy showed that the animals were poisoned with arsenic.

In addition, Rubryka reported that the chimpanzees were returned to the Feldman Eco-park and housed in the winter enclosure, which the summer ones plan to repair before the start of the warm season.