A 12-year-old Asiatic black bear, named Yampil, who was rescued from the war-torn area of Donetsk province in eastern Ukraine, has died following an anaesthetic procedure. The bear had been rehomed at the Five Sisters Zoo in West Calder, West Lothian in January. The zoo staff said that they were “utterly devastated” by Yampil’s death. Ukrainian soldiers found Yampil injured and traumatised amidst the Russian shelling of the village zoo after they arrived in July 2022, months after the Russian invasion. Yampil was one of seven animals that survived out of nearly 200 at the zoo.
Initially, rescuers moved Yampil to an animal sanctuary in Belgium before settling him for life in Scotland. According to Romain Pizzi, a veterinarian, Yampil was comfortable and happy in his new home. Nevertheless, animals that have experienced traumatic circumstances may suffer from complicated health problems such as dental problems or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The bear, who had been observed for signs of PTSD from the concussions he had sustained from the shellfire in Donetsk, was anaesthetized for further treatment. “Sadly, anaesthetising animals always carries risks, and Yampil did not recover from the procedure,” said Pizzi. He added that the loss of Yampil would likely affect “all the incredible people who helped make his rescue possible.”
Asiatic black bears, also known as moon bears, due to the crescent-shaped yellow fur on their chests, are medium-sized bears averaging 4.5 – 5.4ft (137-165cm) in height and weigh between 90-115kg, with the males weighing up to 181kg. Conservation groups classify them as vulnerable with less than 60,000 estimated left in the wild
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More