Animals hate war as much as humans do. But in a zoo within earshot of the front line, they cannot hide, let alone escape from it at all, like the two million Homo sapiens refugees from Ukraine.
The result is stress, depression and maternal dysfunction, which I witnessed here in Kyiv yesterday morning.
Giraffe Juto loves red apples cut into quarters. But when I try to feed him, he dodges.
Shockwaves from sustained artillery fire a few miles from the city’s northern suburbs rattle the windows in the enclosure he shares with fellow giraffe, Jumbo.
A pride of Asian lions basks in the sun on the terrace. But with every fresh rumble from the north, Hercules, Christina, Dana and Lily stir and prick up their ears.
They are not in their element. There is no one here today.
Last year, about 700,000 visitors visited the Kyiv Zoo, which is home to about 4,000 animals of 200 species.
Last year, about 700,000 visitors visited the Kyiv Zoo, which is home to about 4,000 animals of 200 species. Pictured: the Amba tiger from the zoo roams the morning snow.
As they wait in enclosures within earshot of the front lines, they are left with stress, depression and maternal dysfunction, which I witnessed here in Kyiv yesterday morning. Above: 47-year-old Tony the gorilla is a favorite of the people of Kiev, but the war plunged him into depression
It has been open for over a century and the city has invested heavily in infrastructure in recent years; the harsh, cramped architecture of Soviet-era enclosures is being replaced by larger, airier structures.
Director Kirill Trantin says he is a big fan of London Zoo’s scientific approach. One of his heroes is the British naturalist and writer Gerald Durrell.
He says the focus should shift from simply showing off to animal welfare and the reintroduction of endangered species into their natural habitat.
But then the war came.
“We have kept the minimum staff required to operate the zoo,” he told the Daily Mail.
“The animals are being fed, their enclosures are being cleaned, and the veterinarians are still here.”
He showed me the space under the administration building, which was designed for an aquarium and is now a bomb shelter for the employees and their families living there.
Richly decorated wooden benches were brought here from outside to be used as makeshift beds. In the security office there is a children’s potty and various cars.
“My elderly mother, my dog and cat moved here to my office,” says the director.
A lemur cub named Bayraktar after a Turkish armed drone used by the Ukrainian military against Russian tanks and other vehicles. The tiny creature couldn’t look less belligerent, curled up on a piece of sheepskin in a small plastic tub on a table in the veterinary department.
But animals come first.
“Before the war, we stocked up on animal feed for two weeks. We are now in the second week of the war, and today we went to our warehouse and got three tons of food. This will continue for another week. After that we will see.
“I already have people running around the city in search of fresh food in supermarkets.
“Sometimes they pay for it with their own money. We need fruits and vegetables and we have started making our own yogurt for our gorilla Tony.
Carnivores get more chicken meat than in peacetime. Usually it would be beef. Did you know that giraffes love onions?
I do not.
It has just snowed, and I look at the tiger’s paw on the white blanket of his enclosure.
Nearby, the hyena also leaves such traces as you will not see in the Serengeti, with a rabbit in its mouth. Picturesque. But then another knock, knock, knock.
Horace, a 17-year-old Asian elephant, is particularly disturbed by these sounds. For this reason, it cannot be released into an open aviary.
“We had to give him sedatives to help him cope,” says Mr. Trantin, an elephant specialist.
“Members of my staff also sleep in the next room to keep him company.”
Shockwaves from sustained artillery fire a few miles from the northern outskirts of the city make the windows in the enclosure where Jumbo the giraffe lives tremble.
However, Horace did not lose his appetite. He also loves red apples, and there’s something especially nice about putting them on your tongue—as big and pink as a newborn baby—one after the other, six in all.
Horace is not alone in his concern.
Tony, western gorilla, 47 years old. Since he arrived from Germany 20 years ago, he has become a symbol of the zoo and a favorite of the people of Kiev. But the war plunged him into depression.
The reason is not the sounds of battle that do not penetrate his winter pen, but loneliness.
Horace, a 17-year-old Asian elephant, is particularly disturbed by these sounds. For this reason, he is not released into the open enclosure and is given sedatives to deal with the situation.
“The problem is he likes to see new people every day, but right now the zoo is closed to the public,” Trantin says.
“So now we make him watch TV for two hours every day so he can see human faces.
“Of course it’s not the same, but it’s the best we can do for him under the circumstances.
Is it possible to evacuate Tony? “I spoke to the German zoo where he was born and they made this offer. But this is impossible due to his age. To make the trip, he will have to take a sedative, which is too risky for the 47-year-old gorilla.
“The logistics of the trip will also be very difficult due to the many problems along the way.
“So Tony stays here, and we stay here too to look after him.
“He’s the symbol of the city, and heroes don’t run.”
Mr Trantin wants us to see another casualty of the war who has become well known on Ukrainian social media since he was born earlier this week.
Kiev Zoo officials say evacuating the animals is nearly impossible due to the need for veterinary care and transportation. In the photo: alpacas in the zoo of Kyiv
About 50 employees, including veterinarians, engineers and caretakers, as well as 30 family members moved to take care of 4,000 animals. Pictured: Mr. Trantin watching the animals at the zoo.
This is a lemur cub named Bayraktar, after a Turkish armed drone that is used by the Ukrainian military against Russian tanks and other equipment.
The tiny creature couldn’t look less belligerent, curled up on a piece of sheepskin in a small plastic tub on a table in the veterinary department. Sometimes he makes a faint squeak.
“Three days ago, one of our lemurs gave birth to two cubs,” Mr. Trantin says. “One stayed with his mother, and the second was abandoned by her. So here he is. We feed him artificially with a syringe.”
He says he sees this as another indicator of war-related stress. “Last year, the same lemur gave birth to two cubs, and everything was fine. She looked after both of them.
Mr. Trantin strives to do his best for his collection.
“Happy animals mean a good zoo and a happy city,” he says. “We don’t want to evoke feelings of pity when people see our creatures.”
War is on the doorstep, it’s getting harder these days.