Indian doctor does not want to flee Ukraine without his jaguar and panther, he lives with them in a basement
In a Ukrainian city devastated by the war, lives an Indian doctor who for weeks has taken refuge in a basement with his two pets: a black panther and a jaguar that are part of his family.
The love he feels for these creatures has made Girikumar Patil refuse to evacuate despite constant Russian shelling.
This doctor’s life is in danger but the man refuses to flee without his pets.Doctor
Since the war broke out, thousands of people have fled Ukraine and many of them decide to abandon everything but their pets, thus starting a journey to save their lives.
However, Patil’s case is much more complicated, the man does not know how to escape the conflict in the company of his “little kittens”.
The situation has led him to take refuge in the basement of his house in the company of the felines.
The doctor has been living in Severodonetsk, a small town located in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, for more than six years; and for almost two years he decided to acquire some rather peculiar companions.
The first one that came home was the jaguar, a male now 20 months old; then the panther would come, a female of only six.
Both creatures were bought legally at the Kiyv zoo.
The doctor’s coexistence with his pets was altered when the bombings began, the man never imagined having to live a war for the second time and now he is overwhelmed but he does not plan to leave the animals alone.
In recent weeks, the Patil has been kept in the basement with his companions and only leaves his house for short stays to buy food.
The doctor bought more than 23kl of sheep, chicken and turkey meat at a price four times higher, just to keep his pets safe. They are everything to this bachelor.
“My big cats have been spending the nights in the basement with me. There have been a lot of bombings around us.
The cats are scared. They’re eating less. I can’t leave them. This is the second war I’m living through. But this is more frightening,” said Patil, 40.
A few years ago, the doctor lived in Luhansk, but since pro-Russian rebels began to confront Ukrainian forces in 2014, the man decided to flee the conflict. Now the situation is much more severe and the possibility of evacuation almost impossible.
Patil lost his house and restaurant during the conflicts in Luhansk and traveled to Severodonetsk to start over.
The doctor’s family is worried for his safety but he refuses to flee without taking his pets with him.
“Now I’m stuck in a war zone. This time I’m really worried.
My parents have been calling me and asking me to come home, but I can’t leave the animals,” Patil said.
Patil hails from the state of Andhra Pradesh, in southern India, and came to Ukraine in 2007 to study medicine. Since 2014 he has been practicing as an orthopedic surgeon and worked in a hospital in the city that was closed since the attack.
Since childhood he has been an animal lover, he is also the owner of some dogs and cats, but large felines aroused in him a deep fascination and respect.
So he spent $35,000 (£26,460) between the panther and the jaguar.
“I’ve always been fascinated by big cats ever since I saw my favorite South Indian movie star Chiranjeevi in a movie with leopards,” she said.
The doctor lives more than 80Km from the border and it is difficult for him to get there with his pets. Russian troops have caused havoc in his city, which suffers from constant power outages and internet.
“I am the only Indian here, and at night I am alone in the neighborhood. Most of my neighbors have moved to nearby towns. I’m going to hang in there,” he said.
No one knows what will happen to Patil but the doctor has started a campaign through his YouTube channel to raise the necessary funds and manage to take his pets to India. However, the expenses and transfer policies do not seem to clarify the picture of Patil.
Neither Patil nor his felines should live this situation, much less the children affected by the conflict. We hope that the war will end soon.
