"There are no safe places": Feldman Ecopark in Kharkiv not going to evacuate animals

The director of Kharkiv's Feldman Ecopark has said that "relocating the zoo to another city is impossible" because there are no safe places in Ukraine, following statements by the military administration about the possible need to evacuate animals from the facility.

Source: Ecopark founder and MP Oleksandr Feldman on Facebook

Details: Feldman wrote that other zoos have "no space" for the facility's animals and that building a new one would require significant financial resources and time.

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

The MP also considers the evacuation of the animals almost impossible from a technical standpoint.

"A large territory, new enclosures, infrastructure and proper conditions for keeping all the animals are needed. This does not currently exist, and construction requires a great deal of time and mammoth financial resources," the ecopark founder said.

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

"When we talk about animal welfare, relocation is simply an extreme source of stress. We have experience of an emergency evacuation in 2022, when our ecopark was hit every day. Many animals died not from enemy attacks, but from the move. In the new location they were severely stressed, struggled greatly to adapt and did not reproduce," the zoo's founder wrote.

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

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

"Our animals are currently playing 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 others," the MP writes.

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

Following the start of the full-scale invasion, an evacuation began 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 on the ecopark's territory. The facility subsequently brought back the animals to Kharkiv and even began taking in new residents.

Animal welfare advocates have repeatedly criticised the ecopark's founder for not relocating the animals from Kharkiv, given that the zoo is situated very close to the front line.

They have also complained of the cruel treatment of animals at the Feldman Ecopark, including the use of animals for photo services in 2025.

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

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