April 09, 2022

Ukrainian Animals, Suffering


Ukrainian Animals, Suffering
Endangered both in the wild and in captivity. Pexels, Pixabay. 

As a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine begun on February 24, 2022, many animals in zoos and shelters have suffered or died.

Animal shelters in Ukraine have lost hundreds of dogs to starvation and dehydration. UAnimals, an organization for animal rights in Ukraine, has reported that approximately 485 dogs were abandoned in an animal shelter located in Borodyanka, Ukraine. 

The dogs were left in locked kennels without access to food or water for weeks, up until a few days ago on April 1. UAnimals volunteers then arrived after Russian soldiers left the area. Upon arrival, 335 of the dogs were already deceased. Volunteers quickly attempted to feed, water, and transport the surviving dogs to veterinarians for care as many of them were in critical condition. However, the damage was already done, and even more dogs died even after the arrival of volunteers and veterinarian care. After the tragic loss of hundreds of canines, UAnimals has contacted law enforcement to ensure that the Borodyanka Animal Shelter owner is held accountable. 

At Feldman Ecopark, a zoo in Kharviv, officials reported that they may have to euthanize their large animal species following Russian bombings. Russian shelling that has hit the zoo has destroyed the enclosures of large predator species, compromising the safety of people in the surrounding area. 

Alexander Feldman, founder of the zoo, said that the zoo is essentially destroyed at this stage. Attempts have been made to relocate smaller species of animals, but officlas are unsure of how or if they can transport large species like tigers or lions. Feldman said that the zoo is attempting to find ways to relocate baby animals in Chutovo, but all adults will likely be euthanized. Attempting to transport large predator animals requires a lot of people, special equipment, and safety precautions that are simply unavailable. Unfortunately, if the zoo cannot find help to relocate the animals in Ukraine or abroad, the animals will have to be put down. While Feldman has noted how hard it is to make these statements, he has said that the safety of people comes first.

 

You Might Also Like

Political Animals
  • March 01, 2022

Political Animals

The Novosibirsk Zoo in Siberia announced that, for 2022, its new mascot would be chosen by a public vote. It turned into a scandal.
St. Jude's SAFER Ukraine
  • March 28, 2022

St. Jude's SAFER Ukraine

St. Jude's SAFER Ukraine initiative has helped over 600 patients amid the Russian invasion.
Ukrainians Liberate a Mansion
  • March 23, 2022

Ukrainians Liberate a Mansion

"This property has been liberated." – A banner hanging from a Russian oligarch's mansion taken over by Ukrainian Refugees
Battle of the Zoo Mascots
  • February 11, 2022

Battle of the Zoo Mascots

A Siberian zoo's mascot competition has ended in fraudulent activity, anger, and political outrage. 
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
Turgenev Bilingual

Turgenev Bilingual

A sampling of Ivan Turgenev's masterful short stories, plays, novellas and novels. Bilingual, with English and accented Russian texts running side by side on adjoining pages.
Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.
Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
White Magic

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.
Moscow and Muscovites

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955