A Leopardess, War, and the Animal Rescuers of Kharkiv

This episode was made with AI. At the Feldman Ecopark in Kharkiv, leopards, monkeys, alpacas – and hundreds of animals from frontline regions – live together. Since the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the park has repeatedly come under fire: enclosures have been destroyed, staff members killed, and power outages are frequent. Despite this, the ecopark is once again becoming a place where not only animals are cared for, but where people can also briefly find relief from the war. In this episode of “In Crisis Mode”, FUNKE war and crisis reporter Jan Jessen reports from Kharkiv: on the evacuation of thousands of animals under fire, on daily life with power cuts and drone attacks, and on a zoo that has suddenly become part of the front line itself. In addition, animal welfare activist Ralf Seeger talks about his missions in combat zones: abandoned animal shelters, evacuations with special units, and the question of why, in war, he makes no distinction between humans and animals. Guests: Olena Klymenko – spokesperson for Feldman Ecopark near Kharkiv, responsible for communications and rehabilitation programmes for both people and animals in the park. Ralf Seeger – founder of the organisation “Heroes for Animals,” through which he has been delivering humanitarian aid to Ukraine since the start of the war and evacuating animals from heavily destroyed frontline areas. He is also known from the VOX documentary series “Harte Hunde – Ralf Seeger greift ein.” Host: Jan Jessen – Head of Politics at NRZ and war and crisis reporter for the FUNKE Mediengruppe. 🧭 Chapter overview 1 – The Leopard and the War Opening at Feldman Ecopark: a leopard, the dog Amira, artillery in the background – a zoo on the frontline. 2 – From Excursion Site to War Zone Olena Klymenko describes the park before the war – and what has been left of it since the attacks began. 3 – Evacuation Under Fire Thousands of animals are evacuated from the park. Many die, staff members are killed – an attempt to save a system in chaos. 4 – Everyday Life in Emergency Mode Power cuts, generators, drone attacks – and a petting zoo that also becomes a target. 5 – Animal Rescue at the Front Ralf Seeger on missions in the Donbas: destroyed animal shelters, evacuations, drone threats, and cooperation with the military and police. 6 – Between Frontline and Refuge A zoo as a place of shelter for people – and the question of what places like this can still offer during war. 📬 Contact & feedback Questions, comments, or suggestions? ✉️ krisenmodus@funkemedien.de 🟢 Subscribe Now “Im Krisenmodus” – available on all major podcast platforms: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Deezer | YouTube 📅 New Episodes Every two weeks, always on Wednesdays “Im Krisenmodus” is a podcast by the FUNKE Mediengruppe