In Goloseyevo they plan to open a rehabilitation center for wild animals, in Synevyr – to expand a shelter for bears

18.03.2021

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A resident of Pokrovsk (Donetsk region) Ihor Padalko kept lions, bears, dogs and other animals in terrible conditions for a long time: in cramped, untidy cages, hunger and cold. At the end of the past – beginning of 2019, animal rights activists and environmental activists drew the attention of the authorities and the general public to this situation and were able to save some animals from certain death.

But to do (and do now) it was not easy, because our legislation and government agencies were not ready for such situations. The owner of the zoo did not allow veterinarians and volunteers to visit the animals, as a result of which one of the lions died of starvation. Only by court decision in early March was it possible to take the animals out of the “death zoo”. The lions were transferred to a private zoo in Vasylivka, Zaporizhia Oblast, five bears were taken to the Synevyr National Nature Park Rehabilitation Center in the Carpathians, and the bear Laska was taken to the “Domazhyr” Shelter in the Lviv Region.

Photo by FOUR PAWS International

But this is not the end of the story. As it became known to the editorial board of “Active Citizens”, the court session, which will finally consider the issue of confiscation of animals from the owner, will take place in Pokrovsk on May 21 at 11:00. The plaintiff in the case is the State Ecological Inspectorate (SEI) of Ukraine. The DEI has filed a lawsuit to confiscate four lions and six bears from Padalko and transfer them to the state, which actually takes care of the animals today.

What salvation is offered by the profile ministry

“Thanks to the coordinated efforts of national and international animal protection organizations, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources (Ministry of Environment), the State Ecological Inspectorate (State Ecoinspection), the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection (State Food and Consumer Service), the National Police the bear Laska was kept in a private zoo Pokrovska, transported to the bear shelter Domazhyr. In the past, the bear Laska was used to train hunting dogs at the feeding station, its rehabilitation requires special qualified assistance and the availability of appropriate staff in Domazhyr, – commented on this situation, Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Vasyl Poluyko. – The situation in Pokrovsk required immediate changes in the legal field. Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Ostap Semerka signed an Order approving several procedures related to the keeping and rehabilitation of wild animals. This document has been submitted for approval to other authorities, which also determine the formation of state policy towards wild animals in captivity”.

Bear Laska

Poluyko stressed that the proposed initiative regulates the establishment of regional centers for the rescue and rehabilitation of wild animals, the placement and keeping of them in such centers, as well as the registration and maintenance of animals removed from the environment. Relevant documents have been developed and submitted for discussion on the official website of the Ministry of Environment. “I do not rule out that the process of approving these documents will not be easy, as it depends not only on the Ministry of Environment,” the official said. – In addition to regulating the legal field, the Ministry plans to allocate funds this year for the establishment of a Rehabilitation Center for Wild Animals at the Holosiivskyi National Park and for the expansion of the Rehabilitation Center for Bears at the Synevyr National Park. Negotiations were also held with the leadership of the Halych District Council on the allocation of funds for the expansion of the shelter on the territory of the Halych National Park. We all need immediate changes in this area and we will make them”.

How do animal rights activists assess the situation?

“Active Citizens” asked the head of the scientific department of the Kyiv Zoo, a well-known animal rights activist Marina Shkvyra.

Photo by FOUR PAWS International

How many bears in Ukraine are kept in Pokrovsky-like “pets’ corner” and “zoos”? How many more need to be relocated to professionally built shelters?
There are more than 100 such bears in Ukraine. And every year new ones appear – they are born, they come from other countries…
You can’t get enough of so many shelters… What to do?
Adopt documents that specify the requirements for areas of animals, prohibit breeding outside the certified programs of certified zoos, prohibit the sale of animals to individuals. It is impossible to allow everyone to keep such dangerous animals in a row, which in addition have the need for highly qualified care. All the requirements of conscious animal rights activists (the order of detention, the requirements for rehabilitation centers and their availability, etc.) are spelled out in the normative documents mentioned by Mr. Poluyko.
How much does it cost to create one place in a bear shelter and how much does it cost to keep one bear – well, let it be for a year?
Places in shelters are not created individually – the infrastructure is being built immediately. That’s millions. Month of detention, and without transportation, surgery or endodontics (specific and expensive dental treatment – ed.) – up to 20 thousand hryvnias. Feed, medicine, vitamins, repairs, cleaning of pool filters, the salary of the keeper (caretaker), security, communal services, gasoline… But it is unlikely to hook on anyone in our country. You can always throw another 20 bears to the state Synevyr without worrying about building a veterinary hospital and financing in 10 years. Almost all shelters on the territory of Ukraine were built and maintained by taxpayers from Austria, Germany and other countries. We would like our state to take a more significant part in saving bears and other wild animals. Yes, the processes in our country are still going in this direction, but I would like more.

Oleg Listopad