Six directors from AZU member zoos attended the international gathering 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)
• Yevgeny Van (Cherkasy Zoo Roshen)
• Oleg Pavliuk (Rivne Zoo)
• Ludmila Denysenko (Lutsk Zoo)
• Serhiy Kostiv (Limpopo Zoo)
• Igor Bilyakov (Odesa Zoo)

This year’s ZOOFanatika focused on supporting Ukrainian zoos.

“Ukrainian zoos are facing extremely challenging situations. The initial wave of solidarity from Europe has noticeably diminished. At the same time, the financial condition of Ukrainian zoos is even worse than at the onset of the war. The situation is complicated not only by a lack of funds but also by the impact of many other negative factors,” the ZOOFanatika organizers noted.

On the first day of the meeting, Volodymyr Topchiy delivered a presentation titled “Ukrainian Zoos in Wartime.” Lutsk, Mykolaiv, and Cherkasy zoos showcased videos illustrating how their teams coped with wartime challenges.

One of the traditional events at ZOOFanatika is the auction selling artifacts related to zoo work (publishing products, souvenirs, etc.). This year, all proceeds from the auction were donated to support Ukrainian zoos. One auction item was a fragment of a cassette warhead that struck the territory of Mykolaiv Zoo.

Additionally, during the meeting at the Lubin Zoo, Volodymyr Topchiy presented a commemorative award for the “120th Anniversary of Mykolaiv Zoo” to the director of the Warsaw Zoo, Andrzej Kruszewicz, who was one of the founders of the PANDA fund that supported our institutions since the onset of the war in Ukraine.

Meetings with Czech Colleagues

After the conclusion, the Ukrainian zoo representatives met with their Czech counterparts.

Specifically, at the Prague Zoo, Volodymyr Topchiy awarded the “Order of Leontovych” to zoo director Miroslav Bobek. Our colleagues had the opportunity to view the new gorilla exhibit and learn about the construction of the large Arctic Exhibit (budget — €50 million).

At the end of the ZOOFanatika trip, AZU zoo directors visited and conversed with their colleagues from the Safari Park “Dvůr Králové.” In the famous zoo, the directors learned about the okapi exhibit. The zoo director, Mr. Přemysl Rabas, shared insights on “Dvůr Králové’s” experience in the conservation and reintroduction of white rhinos.

At the conclusion of the meeting, AZU President Volodymyr Topchiy presented a commemorative award for the “120th Anniversary of Mykolaiv Zoo.”