Over 100 animals taken by occupants from Kherson region

The occupation authorities of Kherson region have taken 120 animals to Crimea, allegedly for quarantine.

According to the publication Mist, monkeys, ostriches, leopards, tigers, lions, and bears were brought to the Crimean safari park Taigan. Some of them will be sent to the Yalta Zoo, where they will allegedly be quarantined.

"Currently, the state veterinarian is examining the animals and quarantining them. They will be under the supervision of specialists for 30 days," the media quoted pro-Russian publicists as saying.

The occupation authorities do not say what the quarantine is about.

The so-called director of the F.E. Falz-Fein Askania-Nova Biosphere Reserve was served a notice of suspicion of violation of the laws and customs of war committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy for the looting of the occupied biosphere reserve. The suspect, in collusion with representatives of nature reserves located in Russia - the Rostovsky Nature Biosphere Reserve and the Steppe Wildlife Association - transferred rare and endangered species to these institutions. The animals transferred include two individuals of the Chapman zebra, American bison, David deer and Przewalski's horse. The latter are listed in the Red Book of Ukraine and are subject to special protection. The total amount of damage caused to the reserve amounted to more than UAH 22 million.

The press service added that the illegal transfer of animals committed by the so-called director of the reserve is a war crime of pillage and a violation of Article 33 of the IV Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons and Articles 28 and 56 of the IV Hague Convention relative to the Laws and Customs of War on Land.

According to UA War Infographics, almost 7,000 square kilometers of the reserve have burned down during the occupation, including due to the war (whether it was an air force bomb or an air defense missile is not known for sure). It is also known that the occupiers stole 20 rare animals. Many animals die due to the negligence of the occupation pseudo-administration.

Олеся Ланцман