Ukraine: Man Rescues Eight Kangaroos From Kharkiv Zoo As It Comes Under Intense Russian Attack

A man has been hailed a hero for making a daring run to rescue a mob of eight kangaroos from a zoo in war-torn Ukraine.

The animals were trapped in Feldman Ecopark in the besieged city of Kharkiv when the thoughtful man took the onus on himself to rescue them. The zoo has come under heavy shelling in recent weeks and many animals have been killed.

Screengrab/Twitter

Footage going viral online shows the man carrying the eight animals in the back of his van as he transported them to safety.

"It is one month since the war began and we keep evacuating the animals," the man says in the video.

Are you expecting good news? We have them. Eight kangaroos were evacuated from the Feldman eco-park in Kharkiv region. #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/mwErrzqglH

¡ª Oleksandra Matviichuk (@avalaina) March 26, 2022

The official Facebook page of the Ecopark expressed their gratitude to the volunteer who rescued the kangaroos away from danger.

The post said: "Rescue of animals from the Ecopark territory continues! These kangaroos were able to be removed the day before yesterday, that is, they are already safe now."

"This is very nice because unfortunately their enclosures have been repeatedly bombarded. We believe that everything will be fine for them! A huge thank you to the volunteers and staff at risk to save animals, as well as our many friends, ordinary people, business structures and community organizations helping us financially and making our rescue operations possible."

Kharkiv, which lies just 40 km from the Russian border, has been under heavy shelling from Russian troops since the invasion began.

The Russian onslaught has meant that not even Ukrainian zoos are safe. Earlier this month, some staffers and their families moved into the Kyiv Zoo to continue caring for the 4,000 animals there even as "tracer ammunition was flying all over the zoo," zoo director Kirill Trentin said.

The group refers to itself as a "zoo military commune," Reuters reported.

For the latest from trending, click here.