The center is located in the capital of Kyrgyzstan. Volunteers have been involved in the rescue and treatment of wild animals and birds for more than seven years. Zoobishkek is not a zoo or a commercial project. It's more like a team of enthusiasts who believe that every life on the planet is important.
Once four red-billed saker falcons were brought here. The birds were smuggled in the 35-degree heat in the paneling of a car. They were practically dying, severely dehydrated, and had been tied up with ropes for a long time. The team of keepers nursed the birds for more than a month and the result was worth it.
“We ringed the fully healthy unique birds, put GPS sensors on them and together with journalists, government agencies and law enforcement officers released them into the wild. Now, together with the center's ornithologist, we can follow their movements and rejoice that the falcons are doing well in the wild,” says Vladislav Shevchenko, director of the ZooBishkek rehabilitation center.
The Zoobishkek volunteers have another major victory. In late November 2024, a lioness was dropped off at the center in extremely serious condition, with a complete bowel obstruction, arthritis, and an ear infection. Andrey Shevchenko, the center's chief animal technician, took over her care. He settled her in his workhouse. Emergency vet calls, tons of exams, long and complicated food selection, finding rare and life-saving medications, buying the right machinery to grind her quail meat with bones.
“Andrew himself has been traumatized more than once, because every day he massaged his pet's belly, helped her to go to the toilet, drank from a spoon, carried her in his arms when she couldn't stand up, took her out to breathe fresh air, fed her every three hours and almost all the time was confined to her bed,” continues the director of the rehabilitation center.
The chief zoo technician of Zoobishkek named his adopted daughter Leia. After two months of treatment, veterinarians from Russia and Kyrgyzstan assessed her appearance and health status as a "minor miracle." The lioness gained almost 7 kilograms, goes to the toilet every day, studies the world around her and has become incredibly active. Now volunteers are considering the possibility of transferring the lioness to one of the Russian reserves.
"For many years now, we have been maintaining a huge center almost at our own expense. Yes, there is a small entrance fee, which even in the best years in season did not cover even 30% of the total costs. And even more so in 2024 - the park in which we are based was closed for reconstruction," Vladislav Shevchenko said.
He told Radio Sputnik Kyrgyzstan that the main problem is the relocation of the economic part. And it so happened that now it is the center itself that needs help, because within the framework of reconstruction of the park “Asanbai”, where the center is located, volunteers have to essentially rebuild part of the outbuildings for the pets.
"Each of our pets has a difficult fate, almost all animals and birds came to us injured or exhausted, they needed treatment and acceptable conditions of detention. A new construction site in the center is a lot of money. We need building materials, animal feed, and just free hands and caring hearts," the source said in an interview with reporters.
In the capital of Kyrgyzstan, "Zoobishkek" is known and constantly brings hedgehogs, squirrels, turtles, rare birds and injured wild animals to volunteers. They try not to refuse anyone here. Injured animals and birds are treated, operated on, rehabilitated if necessary, and subsequently released into the wild.
But not everyone can be released into the wild. For those tailed animals who can no longer survive on their own in the wild, the center's volunteers provide shelter, their care, warmth and three meals a day.
Photos of the Zoobishkek rehabilitation center.