An elephant was brought to the Kyiv Zoo by special order.
Experts believe that the entire trade in animals is smuggling.
"Cheerful Siberian chipmunks," "Great slow loris," "Charming fox"—these are the ads online. They sell all sorts of things! Lynx, ocelot, caracal, lemurs, coatis, monkeys, and even kangaroos! Squirrels and ferrets seem primitive in comparison. How much would a living toy cost, and what exotic creatures do those who can afford them prefer? Under the pretense of looking for a birthday present for our favorite boss, we called several companies.
"It all depends on the season," explains Anna, an employee at an online pet store. "Predators—silver foxes, wolves, coatis, and red foxes—are born only in the spring. Right now, they're rare and mostly grown. Other, more exotic ones, are raised or brought in to order."
This is how smugglers smuggle poor lemurs through customs in banks.
Then they announce the price list. A female wolf is 6000 hryvnias, a male is 8000 hryvnias, a red fox is 1800 hryvnias, and a silver fox is 2800 hryvnias. The rest are in dollars. A coati is 550 hryvnias, a fennec fox is 2500 hryvnias, and a meerkat is 750 hryvnias. It's not cheap, but they promise complete legality: documents and vaccinations are included. You'll have to transport them from the kennel yourself, though.
“We raise all the animals ourselves,” the seller claims.
What should we choose for our dear boss? A viper or a shark would be better, so we'll never have to worry about gifts for him again. But humanity prevails. We'll settle on a fennec fox for just $300 instead of $2,5. If anything can melt the boss's icy heart, it's this cutie.
"An excellent choice!" approves salesperson Andrey. "Firstly, she's small and beautiful. Secondly, she's completely easy to care for. She thrives in our Ukrainian conditions. Plus, she's completely non-aggressive—even children can play with her."
Pet dealers claim that the fennec fox is now in high demand among the wealthy.
According to our interviewee, the steppe fox is very fashionable right now. Clients mostly choose white ones. Raccoons are especially popular, both striped and raccoon dogs. There are even dwarf versions available as an exclusive option.
"They're booming! They're constantly being ordered! There's also a big demand for large snakes—boas and cobras. And people are always asking about elephants! Probably more for fun, but there are so many questions. Maybe we'll start shipping them soon," the young man laughs, then admits, "By the way, there was a guy working here before me. A few years ago, he organized the delivery of an elephant from Africa to Kyiv. It was commissioned by former Mayor Omelchenko—he donated it to the Kyiv Zoo."
"You're just magicians! You can get to anyone!" I'm amazed.
"Yes, if you need us, we'll bring an elephant too," our consultant replies without undue modesty. "Our last order, by the way, was a tiger. It's a good thing we wanted a regular one, not a Bengal. Otherwise, it would have been more of a problem..."
He won't disclose prices for either elephants or tigers, saying VIP orders are negotiated individually. And interestingly, the crisis hasn't affected the market at all. There are plenty of people willing to buy this unknown animal, despite the country's economic turmoil.
The list of trending animals also includes a skunk with its gland removed (that's where the fun is, you sadists!), hawks, lynxes, non-aggressive caimans, and diaper-trained monkeys. For allergy sufferers, there's a special offer: hairless guinea pigs!
No matter which one you choose, you'll be provided with all the necessary documents—your passport and vaccination records—upon purchase. They'll even arrange insurance! And they'll even give you a discount card—just in case you want to buy another one after you've already got a discount.
OPINION OF THE SPECIALIST
It's all just smuggling.
Animal rights activists are skeptical of all claims made by livestock traffickers. They believe that no matter how reputable and legal a company claims to be, the animals they sell are still contraband.
"Our breeding facilities are illegal!" says Asya Serpinskaya, president of the Kyiv Society for the Protection of Animals. "Exotic animal breeding is a non-existent activity in Ukraine. Only cows, pigs, donkeys, and other animals are subject to licensing. Wild and exotic animals are not registered anywhere. They don't need to be registered, and therefore, no one monitors the conditions in which they are kept."
According to her, all lynxes and lemurs are smuggled into the country. They wouldn't pass through customs. And wolf cubs passed off as being farm-raised are most often killed by hunters who killed their mothers.
Asya Serpinskaya notes that Ukraine lacks any government leverage to influence the situation. There is no animal welfare institution, and the resources of social activists are naturally insufficient. This explains the diversity of the animal market.
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