Ukrainian zoo takes cats, canine and rats left behind by fleeing house owners

Letitia Denham

ODESA, UKRAINE - NOVEMBER 28: Chickens are seen at the Odesa Zoo as thanks to Odessa Zoo director Igor Belyakov, more than 700 animals belonging to Ukrainian refugees have been housed and cared for in Odessa zoo since the beginning of the occupation. Dogs, cats, snakes, rabbits, hamsters, birds, chickens, turtles, chameleons and insects belonging to citizens who have to leave the country for any reason and cannot take them with them, live in the zoo. Since the beginning of the war, about 300 people have come to the zoo to retrieve their animals, while new families have been found for some creatures. White lions rescued from Kharkiv Ecopark, which is among the animals that are afraid of the sound of airstrikes, have to stay here as the city of Kharkiv is still danger. (Photo by Gian Marco Benedetto/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

These chickens are being cared for by zoo workers alongside a whole lot of pets together with rats and hamsters (Image: Getty)

The zoo within the southern Ukrainian metropolis of Odessa has opened its doorways to a gaggle of animals not normally seen behind bars – family pets.

Zoo director Igor Belyakov has taken in over 700 animals from fleeing Ukrainian refugees for the reason that starting of the Russian invasion.

Canines, cats, snakes, rabbits, hamsters, birds, chickens, turtles, chameleons and bugs – all left behind when their house owners couldn’t take them on their journey – now stay within the zoo.

Some animals have been in a position to return dwelling. Because the starting of the conflict, about 300 folks have come to the zoo to retrieve their animals, whereas new households have been discovered for some creatures.

Photographer Gian Marco Benedetto documented every day life within the zoo as rats, cats and lions all get sorted and fed, petted and sorted.

Alongside household hamsters and cats, visiting lions are additionally sheltering from bombing elsewhere within the nation.

White lions had been taken there from Kharkiv Ecopark as they had been terrified by the sound of airstrikes within the metropolis.

Odessa, like the remainder of the nation, is coping with energy blackouts attributable to Russian strikes.

A rat is fed by hand at the Odesa Zoo (Picture: Getty)

A rat is fed by hand on the Odessa Zoo (Image: Getty)

ODESA, UKRAINE - NOVEMBER 28: A woman feeds a rat at the Odesa Zoo as thanks to Odessa Zoo director Igor Belyakov, more than 700 animals belonging to Ukrainian refugees have been housed and cared for in Odessa zoo since the beginning of the occupation. Dogs, cats, snakes, rabbits, hamsters, birds, chickens, turtles, chameleons and insects belonging to citizens who have to leave the country for any reason and cannot take them with them, live in the zoo. Since the beginning of the war, about 300 people have come to the zoo to retrieve their animals, while new families have been found for some creatures. White lions rescued from Kharkiv Ecopark, which is among the animals that are afraid of the sound of airstrikes, have to stay here as the city of Kharkiv is still danger. (Photo by Gian Marco Benedetto/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Feeding time for a pet rat whose proprietor may not deal with it. Because the starting of the conflict round 300 folks have returned and brought their pets dwelling once more (Image: Getty)

ODESA, UKRAINE - NOVEMBER 28: A cat is seen at the Odesa Zoo as thanks to Odessa Zoo director Igor Belyakov, more than 700 animals belonging to Ukrainian refugees have been housed and cared for in Odessa zoo since the beginning of the occupation. Dogs, cats, snakes, rabbits, hamsters, birds, chickens, turtles, chameleons and insects belonging to citizens who have to leave the country for any reason and cannot take them with them, live in the zoo. Since the beginning of the war, about 300 people have come to the zoo to retrieve their animals, while new families have been found for some creatures. White lions rescued from Kharkiv Ecopark, which is among the animals that are afraid of the sound of airstrikes, have to stay here as the city of Kharkiv is still danger. (Photo by Gian Marco Benedetto/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

New households are being discovered for a number of the animals whose households have now left Ukraine (Image: Getty)

ODESA, UKRAINE - NOVEMBER 28: A goose is seen at the Odesa Zoo as thanks to Odessa Zoo director Igor Belyakov, more than 700 animals belonging to Ukrainian refugees have been housed and cared for in Odessa zoo since the beginning of the occupation. Dogs, cats, snakes, rabbits, hamsters, birds, chickens, turtles, chameleons and insects belonging to citizens who have to leave the country for any reason and cannot take them with them, live in the zoo. Since the beginning of the war, about 300 people have come to the zoo to retrieve their animals, while new families have been found for some creatures. White lions rescued from Kharkiv Ecopark, which is among the animals that are afraid of the sound of airstrikes, have to stay here as the city of Kharkiv is still danger. (Photo by Gian Marco Benedetto/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Geese are among the many birds left right here (Image: Getty)

ODESA, UKRAINE - NOVEMBER 28: A woman is seen with a dog at the Odesa Zoo as thanks to Odessa Zoo director Igor Belyakov, more than 700 animals belonging to Ukrainian refugees have been housed and cared for in Odessa zoo since the beginning of the occupation in Odesa, Ukraine on November 28, 2022. Dogs, cats, snakes, rabbits, hamsters, birds, chickens, turtles, chameleons and insects belonging to citizens who have to leave the country for any reason and cannot take them with them, live in the zoo. Since the beginning of the war, about 300 people have come to the zoo to retrieve their animals, while new families have been found for some creatures. White lions rescued from Kharkiv Ecopark, which is among the animals that are afraid of the sound of airstrikes, have to stay here as the city of Kharkiv is still danger. (Photo by Gian Marco Benedetto/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

One of many zoo staff takes care of a canine left behind by its Ukrainian proprietor (Image: Getty)

ODESA, UKRAINE - NOVEMBER 28: A lion is seen at the Odesa Zoo as thanks to Odessa Zoo director Igor Belyakov, more than 700 animals belonging to Ukrainian refugees have been housed and cared for in Odessa zoo since the beginning of the occupation in Odesa, Ukraine on November 28, 2022. Dogs, cats, snakes, rabbits, hamsters, birds, chickens, turtles, chameleons and insects belonging to citizens who have to leave the country for any reason and cannot take them with them, live in the zoo. Since the beginning of the war, about 300 people have come to the zoo to retrieve their animals, while new families have been found for some creatures. White lions rescued from Kharkiv Ecopark, which is among the animals that are afraid of the sound of airstrikes, have to stay here as the city of Kharkiv is still danger. (Photo by Gian Marco Benedetto/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

These white lions have been dropped at the zoo to flee the sound of bombing whereas different lions have been transferred away from Odessa (Image: Getty)

ODESA, UKRAINE - NOVEMBER 28: A hamster is seen at the Odesa Zoo as thanks to Odessa Zoo director Igor Belyakov, more than 700 animals belonging to Ukrainian refugees have been housed and cared for in Odessa zoo since the beginning of the occupation. Dogs, cats, snakes, rabbits, hamsters, birds, chickens, turtles, chameleons and insects belonging to citizens who have to leave the country for any reason and cannot take them with them, live in the zoo. Since the beginning of the war, about 300 people have come to the zoo to retrieve their animals, while new families have been found for some creatures. White lions rescued from Kharkiv Ecopark, which is among the animals that are afraid of the sound of airstrikes, have to stay here as the city of Kharkiv is still danger. (Photo by Gian Marco Benedetto/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

The zoo workers have opened their doorways to the small – like this hamster – in addition to bigger animals like canine – and lions (Image: Getty)

ODESA, UKRAINE - NOVEMBER 28: Lion figures made of paper are seen at the Odesa Zoo as thanks to Odessa Zoo director Igor Belyakov, more than 700 animals belonging to Ukrainian refugees have been housed and cared for in Odessa zoo since the beginning of the occupation in Odesa, Ukraine on November 28, 2022. Dogs, cats, snakes, rabbits, hamsters, birds, chickens, turtles, chameleons and insects belonging to citizens who have to leave the country for any reason and cannot take them with them, live in the zoo. Since the beginning of the war, about 300 people have come to the zoo to retrieve their animals, while new families have been found for some creatures. White lions rescued from Kharkiv Ecopark, which is among the animals that are afraid of the sound of airstrikes, have to stay here as the city of Kharkiv is still danger. (Photo by Gian Marco Benedetto/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Lion figures fabricated from paper are seen on the Odessa Zoo (Image: Getty)

ODESA, UKRAINE - NOVEMBER 28: A water turtle is seen at the Odesa Zoo as thanks to Odessa Zoo director Igor Belyakov, more than 700 animals belonging to Ukrainian refugees have been housed and cared for in Odessa zoo since the beginning of the occupation in Odesa, Ukraine on November 28, 2022. Dogs, cats, snakes, rabbits, hamsters, birds, chickens, turtles, chameleons and insects belonging to citizens who have to leave the country for any reason and cannot take them with them, live in the zoo. Since the beginning of the war, about 300 people have come to the zoo to retrieve their animals, while new families have been found for some creatures. White lions rescued from Kharkiv Ecopark, which is among the animals that are afraid of the sound of airstrikes, have to stay here as the city of Kharkiv is still danger. (Photo by Gian Marco Benedetto/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Because the begin of the Russian occupation the zoo has taken in additional than 700 home animals to stay alongside the standard inhabitants (Image: Getty)

ODESA, UKRAINE - NOVEMBER 28: Cows are seen at the Odesa Zoo as thanks to Odessa Zoo director Igor Belyakov, more than 700 animals belonging to Ukrainian refugees have been housed and cared for in Odessa zoo since the beginning of the occupation in Odesa, Ukraine on November 28, 2022. Dogs, cats, snakes, rabbits, hamsters, birds, chickens, turtles, chameleons and insects belonging to citizens who have to leave the country for any reason and cannot take them with them, live in the zoo. Since the beginning of the war, about 300 people have come to the zoo to retrieve their animals, while new families have been found for some creatures. White lions rescued from Kharkiv Ecopark, which is among the animals that are afraid of the sound of airstrikes, have to stay here as the city of Kharkiv is still danger. (Photo by Gian Marco Benedetto/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Ukrainian Gray Cows additionally stay on the Odessa zoo (Image: Getty)

ODESA, UKRAINE - NOVEMBER 28: Wolves are seen at the Odesa Zoo as thanks to Odessa Zoo director Igor Belyakov, more than 700 animals belonging to Ukrainian refugees have been housed and cared for in Odessa zoo since the beginning of the occupation. Dogs, cats, snakes, rabbits, hamsters, birds, chickens, turtles, chameleons and insects belonging to citizens who have to leave the country for any reason and cannot take them with them, live in the zoo. Since the beginning of the war, about 300 people have come to the zoo to retrieve their animals, while new families have been found for some creatures. White lions rescued from Kharkiv Ecopark, which is among the animals that are afraid of the sound of airstrikes, have to stay here as the city of Kharkiv is still danger. (Photo by Gian Marco Benedetto/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Wolves in captivity within the zoo (Image: Getty)

ODESA, UKRAINE - NOVEMBER 28: Water turtles are seen at the Odesa Zoo as thanks to Odessa Zoo director Igor Belyakov, more than 700 animals belonging to Ukrainian refugees have been housed and cared for in Odessa zoo since the beginning of the occupation in Odesa, Ukraine on November 28, 2022. Dogs, cats, snakes, rabbits, hamsters, birds, chickens, turtles, chameleons and insects belonging to citizens who have to leave the country for any reason and cannot take them with them, live in the zoo. Since the beginning of the war, about 300 people have come to the zoo to retrieve their animals, while new families have been found for some creatures. White lions rescued from Kharkiv Ecopark, which is among the animals that are afraid of the sound of airstrikes, have to stay here as the city of Kharkiv is still danger. (Photo by Gian Marco Benedetto/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Whereas many refugees have taken their pets with them on journeys to neighbouring international locations, a whole lot have introduced animals to the Odessa Zoo and requested for them to be sorted (Image: Getty)

ODESA, UKRAINE - NOVEMBER 28: A lion is seen at the Odesa Zoo as thanks to Odessa Zoo director Igor Belyakov, more than 700 animals belonging to Ukrainian refugees have been housed and cared for in Odessa zoo since the beginning of the occupation. Dogs, cats, snakes, rabbits, hamsters, birds, chickens, turtles, chameleons and insects belonging to citizens who have to leave the country for any reason and cannot take them with them, live in the zoo. Since the beginning of the war, about 300 people have come to the zoo to retrieve their animals, while new families have been found for some creatures. White lions rescued from Kharkiv Ecopark, which is among the animals that are afraid of the sound of airstrikes, have to stay here as the city of Kharkiv is still danger. (Photo by Gian Marco Benedetto/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

A number of the zoo’s lion inhabitants have been rehomed by way of an airlift to Springfield, Colorado in america (Image: Getty)

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