FREE OLEG ZUBKOV FROM PRISON AND SAVE TAIGAN LION SAFARI PARK IN RUSSIAN-CONTROLLED CRIMEA FROM ILLEGAL TAKEOVER

Dear friends, I created this petition because numerous animal advocates all over the world cry out for your help in protecting the owner and the animals of the TAIGAN LION SAFARI PARK. The Park was suspended 2 months ago based on a biased court ruling that favored ungrounded claims of Crimea`s Veterinary in Chief Ivanov. THE WORST THING: OLEG ZUBKOV, THE OWNER OF THE PARK WAS ARRESTED February 2, 2020 AT THE END OF CIVIL PROCEEDINGS: THE JUDGE OUT OF THE BLUE ORDERED ARREST TO BE CARRIED OUT ON THE SPOT AS IF HE WERE A DANGEROUS CRIMINAL. THE NEXT DAY, OLEG ZUBKOV ANNOUNCED A HUNGER-STRIKE AND HIS HEALTH IS JEOPARDIZED.

TAIGAN LION SAFARI PARK houses the LARGEST collection in Europe of rare animals like lions including white lions and amur tigers as well as white tigers almost extinct in the wild while they give lavish offspring in TAIGAN. OLEG ZUBKOV, THE FOUNDER AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE PARK, replenishes the genetic fund of rare and exotic animals for our Planet and he should not be penalized BUT REWARDED for this. In total, OLEG and his staff have to care for and to feed around 3500 animals and birds. The Park`s suspension means deprivation of the lions, the tigers and the other Park`s inhabitants of thousands of tons of food, lost profits for the owner and outrageous abuse of authority by the Crimean government. TOTAL ANNUAL EXPENDITURES FOR FOOD SUPPLIES COME UP TO 2.5 MILLION USD! And now this arrest will entail imminent starvation of his animals left without their principal caretaker, unless OLEG ZUBKOV IS IMMEDIATELY RELEASED AND HIS PARKS REOPEN.

THE TAIGAN LION SAFARI PARK AND SKAZKA (Fairy Tale) Zoo are Oleg`s private OWNERSHIPS. He created them from scratch, without any loans and subsidies from the state. He pays all taxes to the budget while he should be tax exempt and entitled to government subsidies since all the money he gets through ticket sales goes to maintaining the park and feeding the animals as well as to financing new projects (a bear theme park to give bears saved from poachers and travelling circuses the possibility to live freely and tiger theme park). 

Unfortunately, neither bears nor tigers will happen to experience this joy because the authorities would not release to OLEG ZUBKOV some wasteland previously used as a mine and a dumpsite. Oleg never asked for any funding, he was going to clean the sites and to construct the both parks entirely at his own expense. Just imagine the increase in the regional budget that this tourist attraction could bring, the children`s joy, educational benefit and the happiness of these majestic animals if it were not for the overwhelming greediness and criminal mindset of government decision-makers. At present, the fate of all 40 bears is suspended in the air and they might face the euthanisation unless the government releases the land lot or they are  adopted. 

Until this day, OLEG has been defending himself in 560 (!) court hearings initiated by the Chief vet Ivanov and other dubious vet characters for all sorts of absurd claims.

THE TRUE GOAL UNDERLYING THE CLOSURE AND ALL THESE SKYROCKETING FINES IS NOT THE GENUINE DESIRE TO CORRECT THE SITUATION BUT TO MAKE OLEG ZUBKOV GO BANKRUPT, TO SEIZE HIS BUSINESS, MAKE IT STATE-OWNED AND HERE YOU GO, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO POCKET MONEY FLOWS COMING FROM THE GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES.

This will have tragic consequences for the rare predators like lions and amur tigers, in the first place. In the best case scenario, they will be kept in tight cages with stale water and will lead miserable and hungry existence. In the worst-case scenario, they will become trophies of government big shots or oligarchs and their skins will decorate the floors and the walls of their palaces. BESIDES, THE RUSSIAN DUMA (PARLIAMENT) HAS RECENTLY PASSED THE LAW ALLOWING TROPHY HUNTING IN ENCLOSURES!

HOWEVER, these animals fall under INTERNATIONAL ANIMAL WELFARE LAW and are subject to PROTECTION by the INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.

If the Park gets taken over, it will be a blatant shame for Russia because TAIGAN PARK and SKAZKA ZOO are real pearls. The animals are kept in excellent conditions close to their natural habitat, they are well-taken care of, well-fed and they are LOVED. Oleg Zubkov established positive personal contact with almost all dangerous predators. OLEG feeds his lions from his hands and helps females to deliver their cubs who have entire trust in him. Have you ever seen anything like this? He was named LIONMAN because lions accepted him as the leader of their prides. All this must serve as proof that Oleg is a good and caring lion master. It is the lowest and the cruelest thing to leave animals and birds without their master and the means 32of existence.

Please, STEP IN TO PROTECT OLEG ZUBKOV AND HIS TAIGAN PARK NOW!!!! DO NOT WALK PAST while the PARK and its OWNER, HIS BUSINESS AND HIS ANIMALS are being DESTROYED!!! OLEG was forced to run this rat race each day in courts, his health has deteriorated and NOW THAT HE IS BEHIND THE BARS, his animals ARE DOOMED!!! WITHOUT YOUR RESCUE

TOGETHER WE WILL STAND TO SAVE TAIGAN SAFARI PARK AND SKAZKA ZOO!!! HELP !!! S.O.S. !!! S.O.S!!! S.O.S.!!!