Stuck in Ukraine, Indian Man Builds Bomb Shelter Worth Rs 80-Lakh for His Panther, Jaguar | Exclusive

An Indian national from Andhra Pradesh, stuck in the Donbas region of Ukraine, is building a bomb shelter and an enclosure for his pet cats – a 22-month-old jaguar and a nine-month-old panther.

Dr Giri Kumar Patil, known as Jaguar Kumar, is desperate to get out of Donbas region, which is under the Russian Army’s control.

The assistant orthopaedic surgeon has sold all his properties and car to build the enclosure, as there is no safe shelter for his big cats.

Speaking exclusively to News18, Patil said he plans to appoint a caretaker and return to India once the shelter is ready.

“I am constructing an enclosure with bomb shelter which is around 200m long. I have spent close to Rs 80 lakh. I didn’t have any option as the zoos here didn’t want to keep the big cats. Once the shelter is ready, I will have to wait for a human corridor to open,” said Patil.

MYSORE ZOO READY TO TAKE THE CATS

When the Indian Government wanted to evacuate Patil along with other Indian nationals from Ukraine, he refused to abandon his cats and requested the Indian Government to help him relocate his panther and jaguar to India.

The Central Zoo Authority then reached out to various zoos in India to find a possible new home for the felines.

Authorities at Mysore Zoo have expressed their willingness to take the big cats, saying they have the required enclosure and experience.

“Patil has written to the Indian Government, he was given the option of sending his panther and jaguar to any of the zoos in the India. He has selected Mysore Zoo is what we are told. Our member secretary was informed from Delhi. For 25 years, we have had a black panther and jaguars at our zoo. We have a good environment for the animals here. We have a separate enclosure ready for them,” said Mahadevaswamy, chairman, Zoo Authority of Karnataka.

However, relocating the big cats might not be easy. The region has been targeted by Russian forces from land and air.

“Donbas is completely destroyed. It is hell there – and that is not an exaggeration,” Ukraine President Zelensky said, in an address on Thursday.

“I don’t think the relocation will be possible without the involvement of PM Narendra Modi. A war is still on here. Every day, we are witnessing rocket explosions, air attacks, tanks and other tank vehicles,” he said.

In March, the Indian Government had relaxed norms to allow Indians returning from war-torn Ukraine to get their pets along with them.

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