Thirty great white pelicans and a couple of grey crowned cranes found home in Feldman Ecopark within the framework of beneficiary projects of the charitable campaign “The Art of Mercy.” In addition, the assistance was provided to more than a hundred animals – the ones, which are staying in the Good Home. The sum of donations and means obtained from the sale of the works from the collection of the International Charitable Foundation “Oleksandr Feldman Foundation” is ₴3,050,000 – and this is the first results of the charitable campaign launched on May 19.
It should be noted that based on the wishes of the participants of the campaign, the means were distributed for the development of the World Open Foundation for Animal Rehabilitation and Reintroduction, the Centre for Psychosocial Rehabilitation, the Centre for Wild, Exotic and Domestic Animals Rescue “Feldman Ecopark Good Home” or the Centre for Cheiroptera Rehabilitation.
“We thank everyone who took part in The Art of Mercy campaign or are just going to do this,” the founder of the International Charitable Foundation, Ukrainian MP Oleksandr Feldman noted. “It is good that the hearts of people are open for the good and assistance to others: the charitable campaign caused a huge interest and a massive public response, it was supported by thousands of volunteers across the country and abroad. It once again confirmed the slogan “The Art Saves!” Coincidentally, the first real results of the campaign were the rescued living creatures – pelicans, which are the symbols of self-sacrifice and mercy.”
At the next stages of the implementation of the project, it is planned to organize art exhibitions within the The Art of Mercy campaign in several big cities of Ukraine, including the capital city, Kyiv. International and national environment and animal protection organizations will be attracted to take part in the campaign. Moreover, it is planned to give charitable concerts of the celebrities, who support the campaign’s philosophy.
“It was possible to rescue the great white pelicans thanks to the national network of animal advocates, which our Good Home turned into. The volunteers and just caring people from different regions of Ukraine brought the nestlings left without parents to the Centre. It often happened that the feathered creatures were rescued from poachers, cured and nursed after injuries,” the head of the birds department in Feldman Ecopark Volodymyr Perekhodovych told. “Now the pelicans are safe: after the obligatory veterinary examination and quarantine, they adapt on the Swan Lake near the other water birds. Here, they will undergo the full cycle of rehabilitation, will grow up and in spring, they will be able to make couples for breeding.”
According to the specialists, pelicans need special conditions for nesting. That is why the special pontoon islands will be constructed on the Swan Lake. The birds rescued this year will not be able to live independently in the wild, but their offspring will take part in the programmes of the World Open Foundation for Animal Rehabilitation and Reintroduction (WOFARR). The animal collection of Feldman Ecopark is constantly increased by the new rare representatives of fauna within this course.
“A couple of grey crowned cranes was brought to us from a private zoo in Dnipro region. They increased the number of the Red List birds in Feldman Ecopark. We carry out a constant work aimed at the preservation of the gene pool of species under the threat,” Volodymyr Perekhodovych explained. “We take care of their well-being and make everything possible to make rare animals breed here, creating the potential reserve for the following reintroduction.”
It should be reminded that the charitable campaign “The Art of Mercy” was launched on May 19, 2018. Everyone was able to notice the charitable lots at the special exhibition, which took place in the AVEC Gallery, and to choose any work from the collection of the ICF “Oleksandr Feldman Foundation.” From now on, it will be possible to do this online by visiting the website of the Social and Humanitarian Multi-Complex Feldman Ecopark https://feldman-ecopark.com/iskusstvo_miloserdiya.
