Two wheels good for errant ape coaxed back to Kharkiv zoo
A CHIMPANZEE that escaped from Kharkiv zoo was yesterday wheeled home on a bicycle after strolling around the war-torn city.
Chichi, a fully-grown male, was persuaded to abandon its life on the run after a keeper offered it her yellow rain jacket and a warm hug.
Footage of the spectacle brought a rare moment of joy to residents of Ukraine’s second largest city.
In video clips Chichi is seen slapping its hands on a car, before scampering into a city square.
A blonde zookeeper can then be seen by his side, apparently pleading with the ape as it sits on its haunches and refuses to move.
Only when it starts to rain does Chichi run towards her as she holds out her jacket for him to wear.
The pair embrace before it tries to get its arms through the sleeves.
Having had its fill of excitement, Chichi was then put on the seat of a bicycle and pushed home with the help of two passers-by.
Kharkiv zoo has escaped the worst of the artillery bombardments that has left the city centre relatively unscathed.
Chichi, who had made several unsuccessful bids for freedom before yesterday’s monkey business, was moved to the zoo from the Feldman Ecopark, which was destroyed by Russian shelling in the spring. Oleksiy Grigoryev, the zoo director, said Chichi was in good shape after its adventure.
Many of Kharkiv’s private zoos, including Feldman Ecopark, struggled to move animals to safety amid heavy fighting in May.
At the time there were reports that Kharkiv zoo was preparing to destroy lions and other wild animals in case Russian shelling let the dangerous animals loose in the city.
In April, Oleksander Feldman, the owner of Feldman Ecopark issued a heart-rending appeal for help as 4,000 animals faced certain death under constant Russian attack.
Ultimately more than 100 creatures died in the shelling or were put down while more than a dozen escaped into the wilderness.
Mr Feldman, who was an MP but quit Ukraine’s pro-russian party as soon as Vladimir Putin invaded in February said six volunteers were killed as they tried to evacuate the animals to safety.
Most of the park’s animals are still at temporary facilities where they are still recovering from the stress, according to Mr Feldman, who describes the creatures as “refugees”.
Several Ukrainian cities came forward to offer temporary homes to the animals. Dnipro gave shelter to four bears and three lions and a dozen llamas were taken to Poltava, where they had a remarkably good mating season in late spring.
Kharkiv has not had major attacks since June when the Ukrainian army pushed Russian forces further from the outskirts but last week at least four civilians were killed by a rocket in the city centre.
The suburbs and neighbouring villages still face regular attacks.
On Monday night, at least two people were killed in shelling in the town of Zolochev to the north, and an elderly woman died in a missile strike in a suburb of Kharkiv.
However, Ukrainian forces were last night reported to be on a morale-boosting counter-offensive about 25 miles south of the city.