More than a day after the dam exploded in the Ukrainian city of Nova Kakhovka, surges of the Dnipro River flood vast swaths of land in the south of the country, wreaking havoc and causing untold human suffering. But those who suffer alongside the residents of the area are the animals, domestic animals, farm animals and wild animals caught in the rising waters.
A few hours after the disaster, dozens of photos and videos began arriving of pets, such as dogs and cats, stranded in completely flooded homes. A video filmed not far from the blown dam shows a European beaver, a wild animal typical of this part of Ukraine, fleeing the water that flooded his habitat.
Environmental tragedy: Beaver escapes flooding in Kherson Oblast
On the Russian-controlled side, authorities said thousands of wildlife, including rodents, fish and larger mammals, had died in the floods. In addition, the local zoo was flooded in the occupied town, killing about 300 animals of various species.
On the northern bank of the Dnipro, in an area under Ukrainian control, volunteers began a counter-clock effort to save the lives of thousands of domestic animals trapped in flooded areas. Numerous photos and videos of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians rescuing dogs and cats from the disaster area were posted on various social networks - showing heartbreaking scenes.
Andrei Velirevich, a volunteer and social activist in the war-torn country, posted dozens of rescue videos of dogs and cats from the flooded areas on Instagram, along with helping their human owners. Valrevich is seen in the videos rowing in a small boat and evacuating people and animals as one of the flooded houses to safety.
Rescue of dogs and pets from flooding in southern Ukraine
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