Aug. 7, 2025, 1:54 p.m.
(PHOTO: State Environmental Inspectorate of the Southwest District)
Following complaints from citizens, the raccoon from the petting zoo in Odesa was checked by ecologists, veterinarians, scientists and police. No violations were found, but the animal will continue to be monitored.
This was reported by the press service of the State Ecological Inspectorate of the Southwestern District.
Following a wave of concern on social media about possible raccoon abuse at the Maki-Paki petting zoo, located in the City Center shopping mall in Odesa, government agencies got involved. Citizens also filed massive complaints with the State Environmental Inspectorate of Ukraine.
The State Ecological Inspectorate of the Southwestern District has twice participated in comprehensive inspections of the zoo together with representatives of the city authorities, police, veterinarians, scientists from the Odesa Zoo and the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection.
The examination revealed that the raccoon, named Lucifer, who is 9 years old (which already exceeds the average life expectancy in the wild), is in satisfactory condition. According to the ecologists, he has a good appetite, is active, and no external injuries were found. The animal eats meat and vegetable food, has constant access to water, and its 8.1 m² and 2.5 meters high enclosure meets the standards. Blood samples were also taken from the raccoon for analysis.
The inspectors emphasized that they did not find any signs of cruelty. At the same time, the inspectors left the animal under observation to prevent possible violations in the future.
Recently, a volunteer published a video in which she described the inadequate conditions of keeping a sick raccoon in one of Odesa's petting zoos. After that, the administration of the facility began threatening her with a lawsuit. They demanded that the volunteer delete the post and record a new video with the text agreed with the institution.
The scandal began with a post by a blogger who accidentally saw a raccoon in the zoo that looked exhausted and unresponsive to its environment. The video of the animal received more than five million views on social media. In response, the zoo staff launched the "Lucik's Diary" section on Instagram, where they post videos of the raccoon actively eating, drinking, and playing.
Later, volunteer Anzhelika published an audio recording of a conversation with a former zoo employee who worked there in 2019, under the previous management. In the recording, the woman mentions, among other things, cases of animal killing.
On August 2, Odesa residents gathered near the City Center shopping mall on Nebesna Sotnia Avenue to demand that the petting zoo be closed due to the condition of Lucik the raccoon. The protesters held posters calling for the animal to be saved and criticizing petting zoos as a phenomenon.
Анна Бальчінос