Ukrainian troops discover bear cowering in a private zoo after Russian soldiers fled Lyman

Ukrainian troops discover traumatised bear cowering in a private zoo after Russian soldiers fled city leaving the neglected beast in ‘terrible condition’

  • Ukrainian forces decisively liberated Lyman, eastern Ukraine, last weekend
  • Troops found a deserted bear in squalid conditions after Russian occupation
  • Ukrainian charity UAnimals was able to rescue the bear and start treatment 
  • The organisation has been helping evacuate and protect animals from the war 

Ukrainian troops have found a trapped bear in ‘terrible condition’, deserted by Russian forces after the liberation of the key town of Lyman on Sunday.

Soldiers found the animal locked in a small enclosure in a private zoo, surrounded by debris from a nearby exploded shell.

The bear has since been rescued by UAnimals, a charity working to treat and evacuate the animal victims of the invasion.

The organisation says it is removing the bear to a wild animal rescue centre for treatment, where he will be rehabilitated once his condition improves.

Volunteers rescued a contused bear after the liberation of Russian-occupied Lyman

Volunteers rescued a contused bear after the liberation of Russian-occupied Lyman

The bear will be taken to the Center for The Rescue of Wild Animals for treatment

The bear will be taken to the Center for The Rescue of Wild Animals for treatment

When healthy, the animal will go for rehabilitation to the Arden Predator Park

When healthy, the animal will go for rehabilitation to the Arden Predator Park

Yesterday afternoon, UAnimals published on Facebook: ‘As soon as our heroic Armed Forces liberated Lyman and the territory around it from Russian occupation, they immediately found a bear locked in an enclosure in a private zoo. 

‘The invaders brutally dealt with most of the wild animals kept there, but the bear remained alive.

‘Although, he is in terrible condition and contused from a shell that hit the house where he was sitting. 

‘Three meters from his enclosure, everything is destroyed.’

The bear is seen most recently in the post from 5 October 2022 with dirty, matted fur in a small cage.

It is unclear whether Russian forces left the animal in the cage during the occupation, or whether the cage is being used to transport the animal.

In a Daily Mail exclusive in May, the paper reported a British Army veteran, Tom, 34, had rescued another bear from miserable living conditions at a tourist resort in Chernivtsi, southwestern Ukraine.

In August, the MailOnline reported hundreds of dogs had also been found dead at an animal shelter in Ukraine after Russian occupiers left them to starve in their cages for weeks.  

Russian occupiers left hundreds of dogs to starve for weeks in the Borodyanka shelter

Russian occupiers left hundreds of dogs to starve for weeks in the Borodyanka shelter 

The UAnimals shelter in Borodyanka said the dogs were locked in their cages by Russian forces

The UAnimals shelter in Borodyanka said the dogs were locked in their cages by Russian forces

UAnimals said that up to 485 dogs were locked in their cages at a shelter in Borodyanka, just north of Kyiv by Russian forces shortly after they invaded on February 24.

Lyman was ‘de-occupied’ by Ukrainian forces over the weekend, with Ukrainian President Zelensky declaring the important town ‘fully cleared’ on Sunday.

You can support UAnimals here.  

source: dailymail.co.uk