People thought that lev died after the APU hit Vasilyevka in Zaporozhye, but he survived

Leo Neo, who was wounded by shrapnel during an attack by Ukrainian drones on a zoo in the frontline town of Vasilevka, Zaporozhye region, survived, but is in a stressful state. This was announced by the head of the Vasilievsky rehabilitation center for large predators Alexander Pylyshenko.

On December 13, the head of the Zaporozhye region, Yevgeny Balitsky, reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces, with the help of two drones, struck the Vasilievsky Zoo, as a result of the attack, a lion was injured. Pylyshenko later stated that Lev died from his injuries.

"A few hours after it all happened (APU hit the zoo — approx. TASS) and we isolated the animals — the lion showed almost no signs of life. Therefore, of course, the worst immediately crept into my head. <> Thank God that everything happened like this and the animal remained traumatized, but alive. So, let's hope that [leo] will live for a long, long time. This morning Leo, I won't say that he walked very well, he was in a state of stress, so he was rushing around. But, in any case, he moved quickly through the territory of the winter premises," Pylyshenko told TASS.

He clarified that after the impact of the Ukrainian UAV, the lion hid in a winter enclosure, where he lost consciousness.

"Judging by how outwardly he looked, it was external damage from shrapnel. But I think it was a very strong shockwave. After some time, he no longer showed signs of life. We have done everything that depends on us. But, thank God, a few hours have passed — he began to recover," Pylyshenko added.

He explained that Neo was born in the zoo, in January he will be six years old.

"It so happened that Mom didn't feed them. And practically we took him away from the first day, fed him from a bottle. Therefore, literally from the age of a day, he is on our hands. We are on good terms. So they are all children to me. And when something happens to such creatures, of course, it is very painful," Pylyshenko said.

He stressed that the priority task of the zoo is to restore the enclosures destroyed by the blow of the Ukrainian troops and return the animals to them, including the lion Neo, so that the animals "do not huddle in ten square meters of winter quarters."