Russia Invades Ukraine, Seven Bears From Kyiv Evacuated Near Polish Border

Illustration of a bear at the Kyiv Zoo, Ukraine. (Wikimedia Commons/Vitamainka)

JAKARTA - Seven bears have been evacuated from a Ukrainian animal shelter near Kyiv as Russian attacks on the city escalate.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine not only caused casualties and millions of people were displaced. Animals are also affected by the war between the two countries, with heroic efforts being made to save them from the war.

On March 5, White Rock Shelter requested emergency assistance to evacuate its resident bears, as the area became increasingly dangerous. Plans were soon put into action, with the Domazhyr Bear Sanctuary in Western Ukraine offering to house the animals during the conflict.

Four Paws, the animal welfare charity behind the sanctuary, said five adult bears and their two cubs arrived safely at the facility after a 24-hour journey.

"Given the situation, the bears look fine and they are healthy," said Michael Kellner, international press officer at Four Paws, as quoted by Euronews March 10.

"We have prepared everything for their arrival and they will receive the care they need by our experienced team."

Illustration of a bear at the Kyiv Zoo, Ukraine. (Wikimedia Commons/Сарапулов)

During the journey, the truck had to stop several times due to road checkpoints, tank convoys and enemy fire.

To note, the village of Domazhyr is located on the outskirts of Lviv, a small town near the Polish border. The city is currently quieter than many other cities in Ukraine, with no reports of direct missile attacks.

Meanwhile, staff at the Domazhyr Bear Sanctuary remained on site to care for the 29 bears during the conflict. The wildlife sanctuary said it was evaluating the situation and planning further steps to support other animals in the beleaguered country.

Russia began its invasion of Ukraine after President Vladimir Putin gave permission to conduct special military operations on February 24. His pretext is to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine, not targeting civilians and not occupying territory.

Ukraine and the West called the move unwarranted to start a war, with the United States and a number of countries imposing sanctions on Russia. The move Moscow retaliated by imposing sanctions on countries that had targeted them before.