Ukrainians feed animals abandoned at ousted president’s private zoo
The zoo facility is now almost entirely run by volunteers
Volunteers in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv are keeping the Christmas spirit alive.
Dozens of people have brought food for abandoned animals living in a makeshift zoo on the property of disgraced former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.
After Yanukovych fled Kyiv in February 2014, Serhiy Hryhoriev, a former curator of the Kyiv Zoo, came to the estate to dedicate his time to the animals.
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Head of Mezhyhirya Zoo, Serhiy Hryhoriev: “We have a boiler house and we will use it to heat the zoo and we have a safe house. What is burnt, ashes, we will reuse as mineral fertilizer. The bonus is the good mood of the people who helped. And it is such a pleasure because people want to feel fulfillment by helping someone else.”
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Ehgeniy Smirnov said his biker friends had quickly joined the cause and were determined to feed the needy animals.
Volunteer, Evgeniy Smirnov: “My friend sent me a message over Viber that animals are starving and they need help. I am a biker and I forwarded the message to the general chat group of bikers. Several bikers gathered together, took off and gathered Christmas trees and brought them here.”
The zoo facility is now almost entirely run by volunteers.
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