Activists complain to police about raccoon in MP's mother's biopark

Lawyers of the NGO UAnimals have prepared a statement to the police demanding to investigate the case of possible improper keeping of animals in the Biopark, which belongs to the mother of Odesa City Council deputy Raisa Kislovska.

The organization reported this, noting that they are preparing an appeal to the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture and the State Ecological Inspectorate of Ukraine with a request to check the availability of permits for keeping wild animals and the conditions of detention of all the animals in the contact zoo.

The video with the raccoon was filmed by the visitors of the Odesa Biopark and shows the animal, despite obvious problems with movement, still in the enclosure and entertaining people. The animal volunteers tried to call the contact zoo to find out about the animal's condition and help it. But their calls were not answered. Later, the petting zoo did comment on the video. On their Instagram page, they said that a veterinarian had examined the animal. They claim that the raccoon got injured in the lumbosacral region in a fight with other raccoons. They say this is a typical situation for wildlife.

However, activists disagree with this view of the problem and insist that this animal is not in the wild, so it is the responsibility of the people who locked it in the cage, so these people must understand the risks, prevent them and provide timely assistance, and not expose the injured animal to public view.

Earlier, following complaints from citizens, the raccoon at the Maki Paki petting zoo in Odesa was checked by ecologists, veterinarians, scientists, and police. No violations were found, but the animal will continue to be monitored. Following a wave of concern on social media about the possible abuse of a raccoon at the Maki Paki petting zoo, located in the City Center shopping mall in Odesa, government agencies have joined the case.

Кирило Бойко