May 15, 2025, 5:16 p.m.
(Photo: Suspilne)
On May 15, in Odesa Zoo, a serval (an African wild cat) escaped from its enclosure and got into the lions' cage. One of the lions was isolated, the other had to be put to sleep to avoid a tragedy.
Ihor Bilyakov, director of the zoo , told Intent about the incident.
According to him, the incident occurred suddenly, and how the servant managed to get out of the enclosure is currently being investigated.
"He got to the lions, and there were two predators. We managed to isolate one of them, and the other one had to be put to sleep," the director said.
He noted that it took an hour to put the lion in the enclosure to sleep. Bilyakov recalled a previous incident with a leopard escaping from a cage, and pointed out that there was almost no chance of a safe euthanasia then. However, the lions did not show aggression and did not hurt the cat.
"It's good that the lions didn't hurt him at all. Photos with blood have already appeared in telegram channels, but this is an exaggeration - there is not a single scratch on him," the director assured.
According to Bilyakov, the lion, which was put to sleep, is already waking up, and the serval has been returned to its enclosure.
In December 2024, the leopard attacked a zoo employee while cleaning the enclosure. The animal was shot dead and the police launched an investigation into the leopard's attack on the zoo employee, and the head of the zoo , Ihor Bilyakov, commented on the incident.
Meanwhile, the Odesa Zoo may start checking the conditions of animals and the quality of their food. Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov instructed to prepare the necessary order and invited specialists to join. The mayor also asked the working group to pay attention to commercial facilities operating on the territory of the zoo, including attractions and kiosks selling food for animals, which is prohibited.
Ірина Глухова