During an evacuation trip, the UAnimals team member transported two injured swans to Mezhyhirya, near Kyiv. In the shelter for swans, the birds will undergo treatment and rehabilitation.
The birds were rescued by Chernihiv State Emergency Service rescuers near a boat station in Bobrovytsia. One of the swans had a damaged wing, and the other one had leg injuries, so they were primarily taken to a veterinary clinic. There, they received initial assistance and then were transferred to the Mezhyhirya swan shelter.
As Alina Datsenko, Lieutenant of the Civil Protection Service of the Chernihiv State Emergency Service, explains, the swan rescue season is currently underway for birds that could not fly to warmer parts of the world. During this time of the year, there are calls from people who notice that the birds on water bodies need help.
“Previously, there were not many such calls. And now, during the war, there are more. People have become more caring. They understand that not only our lives are important but also the lives of our friends — animals,” Alina says.
On the eve of St. Nicholas Day, Alina’s team also rescued two birds in different locations near Chernihiv.
“One is white, the other one’s gray — like in a fairy tale. I even told my son at home,” shares the rescuer. She had to immerse in icy water, wearing a hydro suit, to get the bird out of the water without scaring it or causing additional injuries. However, according to the genre’s laws of the fairy tale, the story has a happy ending: the rescued birds spent the night in the emergency rescue unit of the State Emergency Service in Chernihiv and were taken to the Mensk Zoo in the morning.
“We respond to such cases when an animal is in danger, and volunteers or other people cannot help,” Alina says.
If you notice a bird trapped in ice, and you cannot save it, contact the State Emergency Service!
