Ground teeth, lost eyesight, and repetitive movements of former circus bears tell us more about training than a million interviews with their abusers. That's why we asked the staff of bear rehabilitation centers about the condition and fate of their residents. This is the first article of the Hey STOP project, a series of publications about the exploitation of animals in circuses.

These people have spent years rescuing animals from the war and cruelty. However, they’ve also witnessed compassion and care on this path. What attitude towards the animals have they seen? We invite you to reflect on this while reading the stories from animal volunteers.

Since the onset of the full-scale invasion, Natalka Sokolova, founder of the Accessible Sterilization project, and her colleagues have been living practically out of suitcases. They work on trips to frontline territories and the Kyiv region. In this interview, Natalka shares her experiences and the achievements of her initiative.

The Exclusion Zone? No, it’s a zone of dual ecocide, a zone of lessons unlearned. This is how Ukraine’s Chornobyl might be described post-2022. One might think that after a global-scale disaster under Soviet rule, russians would have learned that where there’s a risk of radiation contamination, extreme caution is paramount, as the effects touch everyone on the planet. Yet, here they are, repeating history. We delve into this as part of the #StopEcocideUkraine project.

As part of the #StopEcocideUkraine project, we talk about what is often grandly called "love for the homeland"—a feeling deeply rooted in memories of birds singing in Sumy, encounters with wild animals near Prypiat, and night swims in Crimea. But most of all, this love lives in dreams of these places surviving, so we can one day return.

The importance of studying and protecting wetlands

If you are contemplating whether to adopt a mixed-breed dog from a shelter or take in a stray, this article is for you.

Meet the bears Synochok, Liubochka, Chada, and Mykhasyk, as well as their half-wolf neighbor, Nymphadora. They were once treated as objects: kidnapped from their dens, forced to perform in circuses, confined to cramped cages, sold and resold. Now, they live in spacious enclosures with semi-natural conditions. Finally, they have a choice.

Meet Andrea, an Italian and the residents of his shelter for domestic and wild animals in Kyiv region. Together, they survived 40 days of occupation, despite the shortage of food for both people and animals. This is a story of love for all living beings, care, and the desire to protect their own.