The “Nyushanik Farmstead” bird sanctuary in the Kyiv region has been damaged by fire. The blaze was caused by a Russian attack on the night of 7 October. Nearly two hundred birds were killed, and the sanctuary is beyond repair. There is a shortage of food and medicines to feed and treat the surviving owls, herons, peregrine falcons and other birds, as their supplies have been destroyed.
The centre’s founder, Iryna Snopko, announced this on her Facebook page.
Terrible consequences
"We’ve had a fire. The poultry house, the henhouse and the quail house have burnt down. There were birds and a cat in there, as well as all the equipment and feed," Irina reported immediately after the fire.
From 7.00 am, the rubble was being cleared at the sanctuary. The aftermath of the fire is extremely grim. Five wild birds housed at the centre perished: a blind kestrel, a young honey buzzard, a lesser spotted eagle, a red-backed shrike and a long-eared owl, which is a Red List species. The fire also claimed the lives of domestic birds — around 150 quails, 30 hens and two cocks.
The shelter’s inpatient ward will have to be rebuilt from scratch, as it cannot be repaired. According to Iryna Snopko, all the equipment was destroyed — from the generator and solar panels to the oxygen concentrator and nebuliser.
"Nyushanik Farm" has lost its entire stock of medicines and feed, as well as its collection of rare feathers and literature on birds.
Source: Iryna Snopko / Facebook
However, some of the birds did survive. As the centre’s founder told ‘Suspilne’, the fire did not reach the enclosures further away. These are home to herons, owls, gulls, harriers, crows and other wild birds.
How can I help the shelter?
"Nyushanik Farm" is a unique centre where waterfowl and birds of prey undergo rehabilitation. These are animals that were unable to survive on their own in the wild.
To support the birds and the sanctuary itself as it recovers, you can make a financial contribution:
- bank account of the NGO ‘Sadiba Nyushanik’: UA043052990000026005040139144;
- a bank for the restoration of the centre https://send.monobank.ua/jar/7ixS5Yg2YQ;
- Other ways to make a one-off donation — follow this link.
EcoPolitic reported that, due to the hostilities, the greater flamingos, which have been arriving in the Odesa region since 2021, were able to breed only once.
The war also threatens to cause the extinction of certain bird species. They are most severely affected by blast injuries, which not only cause disorientation but can also lead to the animals’ death.
