On February 27, a discussion was held in Mezhyhirya about the future of the local swan shelter.
The shelter will continue to operate, but the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources is currently forming a working group to manage the space and define the conditions for keeping the animals. Additionally, the shelter will now focus exclusively on rehabilitating wild birds — previously, domestic birds were also housed there.
The discussion was attended by Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Viktoriia Kiriieva, Serhii Hryhoriev (who had been overseeing the shelter), UAnimals’ Head of Strategic Initiatives Olha Chevhaniuk, and other animal welfare advocates who had been placing rescued birds at the shelter.
The meeting was organized after Serhii Hryhoriev announced in a Facebook post two days ago that the Mezhyhirya swan shelter would be shutting down. Meanwhile, the administration of the Mezhyhirya park and historical site posted on its Facebook page that the swans would remain, but no new birds would be accepted for rehabilitation (this post was later deleted).
These conflicting statements sparked concern within the animal rescue community, as volunteers have been sending rescued birds to Serhii Hryhoriev for years — UAnimals, for example, brought swans to Mezhyhirya in 2022.
For nine years, the Mezhyhirya shelter has been a refuge for swans, geese, pigeons, ostriches, and other birds. Serhii Hryhoriev told UAnimals that the park administration has allowed 25 swans (previously rescued by him) to remain on-site, along with two ostriches. However, Serhii had to find a new home for 70 pigeons with an acquaintance, and he also secured temporary shelter for 30 geese. UAnimals is ready to send 500 kilograms of feed — a mix of sunflower seeds, wheat, and corn — to support the relocated birds.
Mezhyhirya is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine. The ministry quickly emphasized on its social media channels that “the shelter must continue its work, and the birds will continue to receive all necessary care.” At today’s meeting, they confirmed that new birds will also be accepted for treatment and rehabilitation — most likely, only wild birds. This is because the park is part of a protected nature reserve. The specific bird species that will be accepted, as well as the operational procedures and conditions for housing animals, will be determined by the ministry’s working group. The group will be led by Deputy Minister Viktoriia Kiriieva.
The Mezhyhirya park administration also published a new Facebook post introducing veterinarian Viktoriia Slobodyanyk, who is now responsible for caring for the birds at the shelter. It remains unclear whether Serhii Hryhoriev will continue to be involved with the shelter.
UAnimals has made every effort to preserve the shelter, including negotiating directly with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources both by phone and at today’s meeting. The shelter in Mezhyhirya is vital, as Ukraine currently has no other dedicated rehabilitation center for swans. Here, rescued birds can fly freely and graze, and the shelter is located along an important bird migration route.
UAnimals will continue to monitor developments in Mezhyhirya closely.
Photo credit: Serhii Hryhoriev’s Facebook page.
