The owner of Yalta Zoo ‘Skazka’ (Fairy Tale) and the park of lions ‘Taigan’ Oleg Zubkov shared his frank confessions about how these unique facilities live after Russian annexation.

‘We stopped even to dream about exchange of the animals with European zoos or maybe to buy them from December 2014. That time it was our last transport with animals from three European zoos. We miraculously managed to bring to Crimea jaguars, monkeys, alpacas, kangaroos and many other animals with permit, issued in Ukraine then.

And besides then the cargo of animals to Crimea was passed by customs of Germany, Czech Republic, Poland and even Ukraine had formed the transit through its territory. But Russian customs except becoming glad that ‘so unique cargo had come to Russian Crimea’ and with the full complect of European documents, announced me as smuggler. They had been investigating nearly a year and finally recovered from me backdating in court $22180 as a duty for the goods, which are not their own and doesn’t allow to them in any way’, Oleg told about it to Krym.Realii.

He reminded that the procedure of temporary import of goods to Crimea had been acting till the end of 2014 and only from January 1, 2015 declaration of goods and the work of the Russian customs had begun.

‘During my 20-year foreign economic activity it’s the most shamed case of the treatment of customs service to imported by me animals from Europe or other countries. I hated customs of Russia for this case and now if I will bring in animals from abroad, in extreme cases, I mean, because I don’t want to feed these wretches… Nobody mind to pay fair taxes and duties, as it was always with Ukraine. But you could even see how greedy the were when pounced on these goods, how they measured presented to zoo baboons and hamadryas for $2000 per head to get as as much as possible the amount of duty!’, Zubkov assured.

According to Oleg words other contracts with European zoos for supply of animals were terminated, they were forced to sell bought animals or they lost them…

‘Fortunately, one of the most valuable animals – female giraffe from Czech Zoo Dvur Kralove I could sell to new Odessa zoo of Andrei Kislovsky. Five foreign contracts, which had been already dealt and paid, were frustrated. We could complete at least ten foreign contracts during these three years, because we have a lot of animals to change and sell. We have what to purchase in Europe and connections were established enough… But it’s impossible to bring something in with these ‘goblins’ and there is no wish to do it, because it’s unknown when and how this pandemonium over in Crimea’, Zubkov noticed.

Also, Oleg Zubkov told that even exchange and purchasing of the animals inside of Russia is very difficult process.

‘We’re really not a part of Russia, we’re incomprehensible ‘concentration camp’, which entry and exit are only with narrow search. And to draw up documents through the veterinary Office, headed by ‘veterinar with an axe’ is a long case and often it involves with overcoming of the marasmic obstacles… The connection with inside world is absolutely lost indefinitely or maybe forever for my zoos. And if it was the only one trouble for my parks… Ukrainians correctly write that I served such my right’, he resumed.