The Zoo of the Giddy Disregard Period

In front of a  fenced-in barrack where the monkies live during the summer, an unusual sculpture has been put up. A female human-like monkey (perhaps chimpanzee) is cradling a child.  For some reason this sculpture is named “Monkey Madonna”, imitating Holy Mary with Jesus.  This work was installed for the zoo centennial with support of a certain company.

 

Since children visit the zoo in large numbers it is not out of the question that young questioning minds after thinking over the eclectic which combines the basics of Darvinism and Christianity  can bewilder their teachers and parents with complicated questions like  “Do apes also have a God? What’s his name?  Was he crucified as well?  The answers have to be pondered. The sculpture was installed not on private property, not in the museum of atheism, but on  “Ukraine’s artificially created natural reserve of national importance”.

 

Concentration camp of the 21st century.

But there are even more interesting issues at the Kyiv zoo.  One could start with the most recent events  - 15 – 20 of October.  

This past Thursday (Oct. 15) at Interfax a press conference was held with Heads of Animal Protection Societies of Austria and Great Britain - Messrs.  Christian Janatsch and John Ruane present. 

Mr. Ruane announces that despite the Kyiv Zoo administration claims to the effect that literally within days their membership in the European Zoo and Aquarium Asociation (EAZA) would be  renewed – this will not happen in the nearest future.  Kyiv may not even apply for membership  until 2012.  The reason for the exclusion of the Kyiv zoo from EAZA for 6 years in 2007 became a     --p-----You should quote the actual letter -  (concerning the wellbeing of the animals) without the right of renewal for this period of time.  This happened during the previous administration, which was replaced last year by the current  one.  This new administration rushed to insist that in 2008 “as an exception, after receiving appropriate documents concerning the work and performance of all  requirements by the new zoo administration, EAZA came to the decision still in 2008 to review the issue of admitting the Kyiv zoo as a candidate for membership.”  

 

The verdict remained in force, although it is a pity.  Membership in EAZA is prestigious not only for the zoo, but also for the country.   This is an opportunity to regularly supplement the animal collection or take part in great international scientific programs. This means being a part of the world zoo society.  But here it is - two days before the festive zoo centennial celebration.  For dessert, Mr. Ruane advises that in a letter sent to him by the EAZA Director, the association was “deeply disquieted by the false information which is being spread by the zoo as well as by the Kyiv administration.”  In other words they are lying.  But, as it turned out, John Ruane’s  speech was only the beginning.  After him time came for the vice-director of zoo Mr. Kyrylo Trantin, who commented on the photographs, taken even in places where visitors are not admitted: zebras’ lacerated wounds, skin hanging off the scraggy elephant on a diet”, a 24 sq. m. prisoner cell  lined with metal where the elephant spends his winters, whitebreasted bears kept in a tight cell dating from the 1920’s far away from visitors’ eyes. And another cell for antilopes. Oh, and the open-air enclosures for birds which have been removed, because of plans here for a parking lot.  And little fisherman’s bridges across one of the ponds for  water birds, where paid fishing is being

 planned.   Later, in a private conversation, John said that when he showed these photos to animal professionals in London, many of them could not hold back their tears.  They could not imagine that in Europe in the 21st century the existence of such a concentration camp was possible.

The show must go on.

Then came Saturday, October 17th.  The zoo centennial celebration was widely publicised.  There were visitors waiting for free cake and children that were  entertained  and VIP guests such as Vice-Minister of Ecology Mykola Movchan  or Kyiv first Vice Mayor Irena Kilchytska.  There were speeches.  Movchan presented the zoo workers with awards from the Cabinet of Ministers and Ms. Kilchytska assured those present that in a short while the Kyiv Zoo would become one of the best in Europe.  There was music and fun.  

 

In the meantime, in the barracks where giraffes are held during winter, the zoo lawyers in the company of  the zoo director Svitlana Berzina’s consultant ( he is Berzina’s husband)  witnessed by visitors, beat up the zoo workers, those who did not receive the goverment awards.  They were the director of the educational department Serhiy Hryhoriev and the head of the ungulate dept. Ihor Mariychuk.  According to them, they were beaten because they refused to be locked up in a 5 sq. m. cell where the lawyers and the consultant attempted to isolate them until the end of the celebration. It became known that Hryhoriev, Mariychuk and friends decided to spoil the celebration, i.e. hold a protest against Svitlana Berzina’s actions, who, in their opinion, is consciously and intentionally ruining the zoo.  Lo and behold, Hryhoriev announced that he is member of the Reporters’ Union of Ukraine. Beating up a journalist meant trouble for the aggressors.  In other words, the celebration was successful.   Both rebels were taken by ambulance to the hospital, suspecting brain concussion.  On October 19th it became known that Hryhoriev  was fired via back-dating  for “absences” although nobody advised him of anything officially.    Vice-Director Kyrylo Trantin who took part in the above-mentioned press conference at Interfax was also fired.  On October 20th Berzina stated that over the past few days she received a number of threats of physical reprisal – strangers on the telephone are thereatening to poison the animals at the zoo.    It is not out of the question that events may take place at the zoo in which innocent animals could become the victims.    It is impossible to prevent this, although Berzina says that security has been tightened and the state security has been added,  (As a matter of fact, on October 20 the state security office denied this, particulary because there is no money to pay for their services. This comes down to 50 Hr. from the state budget per hour per person.)

Here we have to take a little break and go back in time for information without which today’s picture would be incomplete.

 

At the beginning of 2007 some information surfaced revealing that the Kyiv City Administration is planning to move the Kyiv zoo to Vyshhorod (just outside of Kyiv) and the freed-up 35 ha. would be sold  for cottage construction.   According to experts the value of this plot would amount to sevel tenths of millions of dollars.  Plus communications.  Plus  construction subcontractors.  But apparently the Kyiv City Administration realized that Kyivites would not give up their zoo just like that.   But giving up such sweet proposition is not easy either, and even though there is no direct proof that some plan B went into effect, they talk about it at the zoo. The substance of the plan is as plain as can be and it is construed by a well-known principle which could be interpreted as follows:  no animals – no problems.  The idea being that if the number of animals is low, then such a large territory is wasted, and if it  cannot be grabbed all at once  – then piece by piece will work too.  As a matter of fact, the present remaining collection is shown on 21.85 ha. out of 34.22 ha.  On the remaining 12.37 there is nothing but all kinds of unfinished construction including these cells for whitebreasted bears.   

In the same 2007 the Kyiv zoo was excluded from the EAZA.  This coincidence is accidental, yet symptomatic, since the exclusion from this European association freed up the zoo administration from constant control of EU.  What followed was a series of scandals, all regarding the zoo territory – zoocide.  For instance, Volodymyr Boreyko, director of the Kyiv ecological center, declared in May of 2007 that “during the past 6 months several tenths of animals died at the zoo.  In addition, many small mammals and amphibious birds disappeared from the zoo territory without a trace, as have squirrels and others while bats disappeared entirely.    As few days ago died the female partner of the deer David and before that the zoo lost several more rare and expensive animals.  At this zoo many animals die of pneumonia. The animals are being held in cold, raw cages, they catch cold and die in great torture.  There are facts that in order to drive them into their cells, animals were shot at with rubber bullets.  As a result the angry animals fought with each other, dogs tore up a fox, and a female bear fought in the cage until she ripped her head open.”

 

In February 2008 Leonid Chernovetskyi appoined Ms. Berzina director of the zoo.  At the time of her appointment she worked in the sphere of humane reduction of the numbers of stray animals. As director of the Center of Animal Identification she had under her control the budget monies, allotted for sterilization of dogs and cats.  Interestingly she has not given up this position even after she became director of the zoo.  In addition she combines these two positions with a third - being head of the “Live Planet” organization which certifies food products under the guise of fight with various food modifications.

Berzina’s  history contains very questionable cynological past including dog fights and arrests for financial machinations. With the appearance of a new zoo director which foes accuse of very warm relations with Irena Kilchytska and Leonid Chernovestkyi, the process of the collapse of the zoo has picked up speed.

In a year and a half the Kyiv zoo, which was among the top zoos of the former USSR, became a simple park with swings and merry-go-rounds, ferris-wheels from whence one can see the barracks and the cells with the dying animal collection.

As of today, the scientific department has been disbanded,  As a result various programs which were the pride of the zoo, such as the development of collections of amphibians, bats, spider-likes and insects have been nixed.  60 professionals had to leave the zoo, many of whom had worked there for over 20 years.  (The scientific department was liquidated due to financial shortage, but it did not prevent them from having four lawyers at the zoo!) They hired two jobless English zoologists – Ann Westbury and Steven Pilcher??????????, who, according to John Ruane. were fired from the Dortmund zoo for cruel treatment of animals. The list could be continued.

 

Truthfully, though, one must aknowledge the director’s know-how. For instance, the proposition to hold all kinds of corporate celebrations “with entertainment”, as stated on the Kyiv zoo web site with the zoo animals – reptilia, rodents, primates, birds, etc. which could  be petted and photographed.”  Can you image this corporate celebration – birds, rodents and primates in the epicenter of an office debauch?  There is also an opportunity, as stated on the official web site, to rent the zoo territory for photo sessions of “documentary and art films, competitions, TV shows, etc.” At that, not expensive, 100 – 500 Hr. per hour. What delight would grab the birds and animals when something pop and loud would be performed and photographed, perhaps a movie about war, with pirotechnics and special effects? And the idea of bottling own mineral water from the artesian wells nearby. Pay fishing and parking mentioned before?  How can one not mention the shock of the Brittons from the Ukrainian concentration camps in Europe 21 cent.?

 

One would like to ask Ms. Berzina, even though naively, and understanding that she would not answer,  something like: “while on your new job you are spending not one thousand of budget hryvnia for your trips abroad and are planning to continue to represent Ukraine at best zoos of the world.  Understandably you have no experience nor eduction.  Yet you are managing not a bath-house, not a storage of poisonous chemicals.  Have you at least once looked into the eyes of those under your guardianship?”

Lie detector, truth detector.

Why did you bother about admission or non-admission to EAZA when your plans are different?  Cannot understand.  Even WAZA – the World Assocation of Zoos and Aquariums has taken interest in the Kyiv zoo, and that means total isolation of the Kyiv zoo and for Ms. Berzina a forever status of persona non-grata, and for Ukraine – shame.  How will the Kyiv administration bluff? What will the new Minister of Foreign Affairs answer to the plea of the Great Britain Ambassador to protect Her Majesty’s nationals during their visit to Ukraine? This will follow Mr. Ruane’s letter to the Ambassador about the fact that the zoo workers were beaten up.  What does the head of the animal protection society think about this and about his own safety?..

 

Really, why should John Ruane come here?  Let him protect the animals at home in England.  So there will be no zoo in Kyiv.  There will be cottages instead. So what?

 

P.S.  After the appointment of Svitlana Berzina to the post of Director of the Zoo, in 2008, Irena Kilchytska stated officially that the Kyiv City Administration alloted 50 million hryvnia for the zoo development and reconstruction,  in addition to the existing 38 million. In April of 2009 Svitlana Berzina publically announced that the Kyiv Administration allotted another 35 million hryvnia for the building and reconstruction of the open air cages “Tropical Bears” and “Human-like Apes” .  These were supposed to be completed by July of this year.  Has anyone seen these buildings?  On October 8th, 2009 Halyna Buzan, the zoo public relations, announced that there was no money,.and that the city hall finances the zoo only partly for wages and partly for communal charges.

No one knows what happened to another 20 million which,according to Ms. Berzina, the zoo apparently earned in 2009 as well as the few million which the Kyiv Administration alloted for the centennial celebration.  This money flew past the noses, beaks and trunks.  Too bad the animals cannot tell us what, and in what amount and how often they eat, even if we were to send them through the lie detector.   When Berzina came to power, the zoo workers had to undergo the polygraph, with heart attacks and hospitals after the procedure, because of the humiliation.  In private conversations, however,

It would be difficult not to believe them, even without the detector.  One zoo worker told us that in order to economize on heat in the monkey cell they covered all windows with plywood and the monkeys sit out their term without daylight. “ If you don’t believe me, come, I will show you”, she said. “I have worked at the zoo for more than 20 years, but this I have never seen.”

 

In the opinion of one of the fired zoo workers, who knows about the backstage games not from rumors, there is also a scenario “C”.  After the animal collection becomes totally hopeless, the zoo status will be dropped to the level of a communal unit and then the road  to bankruptcy is clear and the sweet moment ahead....

It seems that use of the concept of “Monkey Madonna” does not even need to be discussed.  If there is an animal God – He forgot about the inhabitants of the Kyiv Zoo.