[Animals] Kyiv Zoo Says Staff Is at Closed Ukraine Zoo to Care for Stressed Animals amid Russian Invasion

[FazzNoth]

As Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, the Kyiv Zoo is focused on keeping the animals stuck at the closed zoo safe and comfortable.

Russian forces launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 — the first major land conflict in Europe in decades — which reportedly included airstrikes and bombings in the country's capital city of Kyiv, where the Kyiv Zoo is located.

On Feb. 24, the Kyiv Zoo closed to visitors due to the declaration of martial law, according to the facility's Facebook post translated from Ukrainian to English. Even with the zoo closed, a staff of about 50 people has remained at the park, even at night, to provide the animal residents with consistent care, the zoo's director shared in a Feb. 26 update on the zoo's website.

 

The update, translated from Ukrainian to English, added that the attacks on Kyiv are causing the animals great stress and that many of the zoo's residents have moved into underground galleries and indoor enclosures for their safety. Veterinarians are reportedly on hand around the clock to comfort the animals and provide treatment when needed.

RELATED: She Left Ukraine Years Ago — but Her Sister's Family Faces the Invasion: 'I Cannot Believe This Is Their Life'

The zoo director also noted in the update that the zoo is equipped with the resources it needs for the next ten days and that the Kyiv Zoo is grateful for the supportive messages it has received from fans.

 

Details of the fighting in Kyiv and across Ukraine change by the day, but hundreds of civilians have already been reported dead or wounded, including children. More than a million Ukrainians have also fled, the United Nations says.

"You don't know where to go, where to run, who you have to call. This is just panic," Liliya Marynchak, a 45-year-old teacher in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, told PEOPLE of the moment her city was bombed — one of numerous accounts of bombardment by the Russians.

On Feb. 27, the Kyiv Zoo provided another update on their website, letting readers know that the zoo's animals were doing satisfactory and that the zoo had not been hit by any direct attacks.

 

The following day, the zoo shared more news, posting on their website that the animals continue to receive around-the-clock care and are in good condition, making a point to note that Tony the gorilla — the only zoo gorilla in Ukraine — is safe and doing well.

The latest update the Kyiv Zoo provided came on Mar. 2 when the zoo posted on Facebook that they do not currently require outside help from citizens and that all reliable information about the zoo's animals will come from the Kyiv Zoo Facebook page.

 

The invasion of Ukraine, ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, has drawn condemnation around the world and increasingly severe economic sanctions against Russia.

With NATO forces massing in the region around Ukraine, various countries have also pledged aid or military support to the resistance. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for peace talks — so far unsuccessful — while urging his country to fight back.

Putin insists Ukraine has historic ties to Russia and he is acting in the best security interests of his country. Zelenskyy vowed not to bend."Nobody is going to break us, we're strong, we're Ukrainians," he told the European Union in a speech in the early days of the fighting, adding, "Life will win over death. And light will win over darkness."

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The Russian attack on Ukraine is an evolving story, with information changing quickly. Follow PEOPLE's complete coverage of the war here, including stories from citizens on the ground and ways to help.