Charisa Bossinakis
An escaped chimpanzee has returned to a Kharkiv Zoo on the back of a zookeeper’s bicycle.
The Guardian reported that after the primate escaped (Monday, September 5), Kharkiv city zoo staff members were thrilled to see the chimpanzee, Chichi, lured back to the facility on a bike.
After the chimp broke free from the zoo earlier this week, she wandered through nearby streets and parks decimated by the Russian army.
As it began to rain, a zookeeper approached the chimp, draping a raincoat over her while they embraced.
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The zookeeper then placed Chichi on the bike as she transported her safely back to the zoo.
Chichi was previously held at Feldman Ecopark, a regional landscape park in Lisne, Kharkiv, which boasted over 5,000 animals and more than 300 species before the Russian-Ukraine conflict began.
But as the Russian military began shelling artilleries closer to the park, volunteers began to evacuate the animals in April.
At the time, Feldman Ecopark shared via Facebook: “Our lions and some other animals rescued yesterday from the shelling from the Ecopark territory are already on their way to their new temporary home in Odessa.
“Many thanks to the management and staff of the Odessa Zoo, who, like many other of our colleagues in Ukraine and abroad, expressed their willingness to accept and take care of our animals.”
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However, ABC News reported that six volunteers were killed during the evacuation as the employees discovered their bodies barricaded in the back room.
Among the victims was a 15-year-old teenager who was shot while trying to feed the buffaloes with his parents.
Additionally, the park revealed that almost 100 animals had been killed during the shelling.
Following the tragedy, Feldman Ecopark issued a statement condemning Russian for targeting volunteers who were merely trying to aid the animals.
The facility also revealed that they had received confirmation that two employees had died after they went missing earlier in March.
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“We’ll cherish the blessed memory of these wonderful and courageous people,” they wrote.
"Sincere condolences to their families and friends.
"We believe that inhumans who have committed this will definitely be punished!"