"Nowhere is safe": Feldman Ecopark in Kharkiv has no plans to evacuate animals

The director of the Feldman Ecopark in Kharkiv has said that "moving the zoo to another city is impossible" because nowhere in Ukraine is safe, after the military administration warned that it may become necessary to evacuate the animals.

Source: Ecopark founder and MP Oleksandr Feldman on Facebook

Details: Feldman said other zoos have "no space" for the animals, and that building a new zoo would require significant financial resources and time.

"Moving the ecopark to another city is impossible for several reasons. First of all, sadly, there are no safe places in Ukraine right now. None at all. We have looked into this: the Russians can attack anywhere," Feldman said.

The MP also believes that evacuating the animals would be almost impossible from a technical standpoint.

"You need large grounds, new enclosures, infrastructure and proper conditions for keeping all the animals. This currently does not exist, and construction requires a great deal of time and a massive amount of money," the ecopark founder said.

He also argues that other zoos are not safe and have no space available for the Feldman Ecopark's animals.

"From an animal welfare point of view, relocation is an extreme source of stress. We have experience of this from an emergency evacuation in 2022, when our ecopark was being hit every day. Many of the animals died not from the enemy attacks, but from the move. They were extremely stressed in their new location, struggled greatly to adapt, and didn't reproduce," he said.

Feldman said the ecopark had its usual "baby boom" season this spring. Many of the animals have healthy offspring, and he believes spending should therefore be focused on animal welfare.

He also pointed out that the ecopark is "needed by Kharkiv residents", calling it "a breath of fresh air".

"Our animals now play an important role as therapists in rehabilitation programmes for wounded military personnel, civilians affected by the war, internally displaced persons, people with special needs and so on," the MP wrote.

Before the full-scale invasion, the Feldman Ecopark was home to around 5,000 animals representing nearly 300 species.

When the full-scale invasion started, an evacuation commenced at the ecopark during which five members of staff were killed. By the end of April 2022, 80% of the animals had been evacuated.

In February 2023, however, mine clearance began at the ecopark. The zoo subsequently brought the animals back to Kharkiv and even began taking in new residents.

Feldman has been criticised by animal welfare advocates for not relocating the animals from Kharkiv given that the zoo is very close to the front line.

There have also been complaints that the Feldman Ecopark has treated animals cruelly, including offering photo opportunities with animals in 2025.

Earlier, Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration reported that it has not ruled out the evacuation of animals from the Feldman Ecopark due to the security situation.

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