Roe deer, raccoon-like dogs and cats from the Kherson region are being evacuated to Kropyvnytskyi

From the flooded areas of Kherson region, besides people, domestic and wild animals also require evacuation. A volunteer from Kropyvnytskyi named Dmytro Popov has taken on the task of rescuing them from isolated, waterlogged areas. He searches for injured and distressed animals in hard-to-reach towns and villages. He then takes the injured and distressed animals to his private rehabilitation zoo center. There, veterinarians take care of them, feed them, and provide medical treatment.

Dmytro shared with journalists how many animals he has rescued and how they are doing now. Currently, the zoo center workers are doing everything possible to rehabilitate a deer rescued by Dmytro in the flooded Antonivka. The deer was living in the wild. When the Russians blew up the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station, the powerful water stream carried her out of the forest. The injured and helpless deer drifted through the flooded streets of the village until volunteers found her. The animal is currently in critical condition and is struggling to survive.

"Deer from Antonivka. It's a boy. The condition is serious. He's fighting, and we're helping. She's in shock and intoxicated. Most likely, the water she swallowed carried not only river silt but also building materials, dirt, and debris. All of this got into her system. On top of that, shock and helplessness," says the head of the animal rehabilitation center, Dmytro Popov.

Dmytro directed the injured deer to rehabilitation at his zoo center. Here, they are already recovering from the ordeal - five raccoon-like puppies. They are about a month old. The animals ended up in a water trap in Kuybysheve village. The volunteer says that the frightened babies squealed and didn't know where to go. If it weren't for the volunteers who were swimming nearby, they would have died of hunger.

"The babies of raccoon-like dogs were trying to float. They were in the water. When we took the animals, they hid, tried to hide somewhere, hissed, and were restless. We feed them milk. Unfortunately, we didn't find their mother. Today, you can touch their calm faces, and no one hisses," said Dmytro.

Two kittens were also rescued from an abandoned house on an island in Kherson. Their owners were evacuated, but they didn't take the fluffy ones with them. Seeing people, the animals immediately made contact. They were saving themselves on the roof of the flooded house.

"The kittens were in shock because their mother was not nearby, just like their owners, and there was water around. We didn't find their mother. We didn't find the owners either. They were on the roof of the house alone. We named them Bonnie and Clyde. That they are relatives, we see it in their eyes. But today they are already purring, cuddling, and drinking milk with great pleasure," said the man. Now, they are looking for new families for the kittens.

The rescue operation lasted for several days, says Dmytro. Local residents helped him search for the unfortunate animals. Due to a sudden rise in water, towns and villages sank, and it was impossible to walk on foot, and the car couldn't pass everywhere. So they moved on motorboats, watching out for mines that had been washed from the fields by the current.

Dmytro says that the cozy and fertile Kherson region is unrecognizable. The enemy has turned it into a dead zone.

"The situation is not happy. The territory is underwater. People are disappointed. People and animals are suffering."

Until the water recedes, Dmytro plans to continue evacuating animals from the flooded areas of Kherson region. There is plenty of space in his zoo center. Therefore, he plans to shelter as many four-legged animals in need as possible.