The lack of a designated status for rehabilitation centers for wild animals creates significant problems for animal hospitals that care for rare species of fauna. Senator Oleg Tsepkіn, in an interview with “Parliamentary Newspaper,” revealed that the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation has developed a new bill that provides support for wildlife treatment centers from government structures without imposing unnecessary requirements or classifying them as circuses or zoos.
According to the senator, the absence of a status complicates the work of rehabilitation centers, creates bureaucratic obstacles, and deprives them of the opportunity to receive financial support. Currently, government structures can transfer injured animals to these centers, but they are not entitled to receive financial assistance from authorities to care for them. Additionally, shelters are devoid of scientific support and are forced to solve all emerging issues on their own.
The legislative definition of the status of rehabilitation centers for wild animals will simplify their work and contribute to the preservation of biodiversity and the development of public initiatives in environmental protection, explained Tsepkіn.
He added that the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation has already developed a bill that will provide support to such centers without unnecessary requirements, as well as classify them as zoos or circuses.
One of the main tasks will be to allocate shelters from the category of zoos and assign them the status of socially oriented non-profit organizations that work in the field of environmental protection and animal welfare.
Adopting this bill will allow the state to support individuals engaged in animal rehabilitation, including socially oriented non-profit organizations that engage in environmental protection and animal welfare.
Currently, there are over 70 rehabilitation centers for wild animals and more than 630 animal shelters in Russia, which can also engage in their treatment.
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