International Zoo Meeting: Supporting Ukraine
Directors from six AZU member zoos participated in the international event ZOOFanatika, held at the Lubin Zoo (Poland) from April 11 to 13, 2025.
The Ukrainian zoo community was represented by:
- Volodymyr Topchiy (AZU President, Director of Mykolaiv Zoo)
- Yevheniy Van (Cherkasy Zoo Roshen)
- Oleh Pavliuk (Rivne Zoo)
- Ludmila Denysenko (Lutsk Zoo)
- Serhiy Kostiiv (Limpopo Zoo)
- Igor Bilyakov (Odesa Zoo)
This year's ZOOFanatika focused on supporting Ukrainian zoos.
“Ukrainian zoos are in a critical situation. The initial wave of solidarity in Europe has significantly diminished, and the financial situation has worsened compared to the beginning of the war,” stated the organizers of ZOOFanatika.
On the first day of the meeting, Volodymyr Topchiy presented a report titled “Ukrainian Zoos in Wartime.” The Lutsk, Mykolaiv, and Cherkasy zoos showcased videos illustrating how their teams faced wartime challenges.
One of the traditional events at ZOOFanatika is the auction selling artifacts related to zoo operations. This year, all proceeds from the auction supported Ukrainian zoos. Among the auction items was a fragment of a cassette warhead that hit the Mykolaiv Zoo.
During the meeting at the Lubin Zoo, Volodymyr Topchiy awarded a commemorative distinction for the “120th anniversary of Mykolaiv Zoo” to the director of the Warsaw Zoo, Andrzej Kruszevich, who has been a supporter of our zoos since the war began.
Meetings with Czech Colleagues
After the main event, the Ukrainian zoo representatives met with their Czech counterparts.
At the Prague Zoo, Volodymyr Topchiy presented the “Order of Leontovych” to zoo director Miroslav Bobek. Our colleagues had the opportunity to tour a new gorilla exhibit and learn about the large-scale Arctic Exhibit project (budget - €50 million).
To conclude their trip to ZOOFanatika, the AZU zoo directors visited and conversed with their colleagues at the Safari Park “Dvůr Králové.” At the renowned zoo, the directors learned about the okapi exhibit. Director Mr. Přemysl Rabas shared experiences regarding the conservation and reintroduction of white rhinos.
At the end of the meeting, AZU President Volodymyr Topchiy presented a commemorative award for the “120th anniversary of Mykolaiv Zoo.”
