#ukraine

#ukraine

Ukrainian Army AnimalsOne of the more emotion-stirring Twitter feeds I've come across is UkrARMY cats & dogs. It documents the interactions of the Ukrainian fighting forces and the dogs and cats they love. These soldiers are putting their lives on the line for their homeland, and they defend the country's animals as well.

Chichi's Big Adventure in KharkivChichi the chimpanzee once lived in Feldman Ecopark, an outdoor zoo near Kharkiv, Ukraine. He was evacuated due to Russian shelling earlier this year and taken to the Kharkiv city zoo. Chichi was one of the lucky ones, as more than 100 animals at the Feldman Ecopark died during the early weeks of the war with Russia. More recently, Chichi went on his own adventure when he escaped the zoo and wandered around the city for a few hours. Zookeepers followed him, but could not persuade him to come back home. Until it started raining. A zookeeper had a jacket she offered to Chichi, who went right up to her to get it. By then he was ready to go home, and got a ride on a bicycle. He didn't even have to pedal himself! It's amazing what a little wet weather, and probably hunger, can entice a juvenile chimp to do. -via Fark#chimpanzee #chimp #escape #Ukraine

Refugee Escapes War with Her CatJen knew that she had to leave Ukraine, but she could not leave her beloved cat Simba behind. Simba was an indoor cat, and would have never survived in a war zone by himself. They were refugees, but Simba made Jen feel less alone on her journey. Together they traveled to Hungary and then to the French Riviera, where Simba had to adjust to unfamiliar surroundings, just like Jen, but found his world has greatly expanded. You can follow the further adventures of Simba in France at Instagram.#cat #Ukraine #refugee

An International Cat RescueThis is Max, a Maine coon cat who lives in Bucha, Ukraine, with Alena Kukuruzka. You can see how big Max is by the horseshoe for scale. He is also badass for wearing a Batman insignia. When the Russian army approached Bucha, Kukuruzka and her young son were evacuated to the Czech Republic. They were not able to take Max with them. Then Max disappeared from Bucha, most likely carried off by a Russian soldier. Kukuruzka issued an internet appeal to find her cat.A few weeks later, locals in Gomel, Belarus, noticed a wandering cat with a Batman collar. Max had traveled 300 kilometers from Bucha! Animal rescue volunteers there traced the cat to his owner, and then called Kukuruzka in the Czech Republic. Kukuruzka got a message:“Your contacts were on the pendant, we didn’t know whether to call or not, how you would react to Belarusians, after everything that was happened,” the girl on the other end of the phone said, throwing off a photo of Max and a collar with a pendant.Volunteers prepared Max with a passport and managed to send him through Poland to Czechia, where he was reunited with Kukuruzka 80 days after they were separated by war. You'll find the full story at the Facebook group Ukraine Animal Rescue Information. -via Everlasting Blort (Image credit: Alena Kukuruzka) #cat #rescue #lostcat #Ukraine #Mainecoon

Patron, the Ukrainian Hero, Awarded MedalA small Jack Russell terrier named Patron is one of the many Ukrainians stepping up to defend the country. Since the above video was released, Patron had added to his accomplishments by detecting more than 200 hidden bombs and landmines in Ukraine. He's only two-and-a-half, but he's become a symbol if the fight among Ukrainians and sympathizers on social media. On Sunday, Patron and his handler Myhailo Iliev were honored at a ceremony at which president Volodimir Zelenskyy awarded them with a special medal for heroism. Zelenskyy said, "I want to award those Ukrainian heroes who are already clearing our land of mines. And together with our heroes - a wonderful little sapper Patron who helps not only to neutralize explosives, but also to teach our children the necessary safety rules in areas where there is a mine threat." Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also attended the medal ceremony in Kyiv.

Buried Puppy Rescued in DonbasA 77-year-old man in the village of Mykhailivka in Ukraine miraculously survived when his home was completely destroyed. Everything he owned was gone, including his dog. Rescue workers from the Donetsk regional police were checking out the damage after Russian shelling destroyed most of the homes in the village. When the workers heard a sound, they dug a couple of feet down through thick dust and fallen blocks and were able to retrieve a puppy! It took a a few seconds for the dog to realize he can breathe again. The moment of rescue was captured on video.

How to Save a Lion in UkraineThousands of people have become involved in the massive task of getting refugees out of Ukraine and to safety in other countries. Then there are zoo animals, who are at the mercy of humans, both those who care for them and those who might drop a bomb on them. British war veteran Tim Locks and two of his friends decided to do something about those animals. Locks was already in Lviv working on humanitarian aid, and heard about a zoo only 20 kilometers from Russian forces. The most dangerous of the animals, a lion and a wolf, were still there waiting to be evacuated. Locke and his buddies ripped the insides out of a van, filled it with supplies to deliver, and drove 600 miles to the zoo. They organized some heavy equipment, including a crane, to lift the cages out of the enclosures. They packed the cages into the van, then drove another 600 miles to a zoo in Romania where the lion and wolf are now sheltered. At one checkpoint, the guard did not believe the crew's declaration of cargo until he looked straight into the lion's face. He said it looked like Aslan out of Narnia. While this lion and wolf are safe, there are still plenty of zoo animals left in Ukraine, with few keepers to tend to their needs. You can read the full story of the lion rescue at Bored Panda.(Image credit: Tim Locks) #lion #wolk #Ukraine #rescue #evacuation