Bat Rescue in War-Torn Ukraine

It's April 6, I'm Corey with The Story, and this is Canada News Today, your AI-powered

local news.

In a nature park just outside Kiev, volunteers set hundreds of rescued bats free into the

evening sky to kick off spring.

Over 1,000 spectators, from families to off-duty soldiers, gathered to cheer as the bats took

off.

Many came from war-hit spots in eastern Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Bat Rehabilitation Center ran the show, highlighting how all 28 bat species

here are protected and facing population drops.

These events happen across the country to boost their numbers.

Attendees soaked up the moment as a break from a brutal winter of freezing cold, blackouts,

and nightly drone strikes.

One local dad put a simple, war dominates, but life needs more than that.

Family time like this keeps spirits up.

The conflict hits bats hard too.

Holding their roots in bomb buildings and jolting them out of hibernation.

With just one or two pups a year, they bounce back slow, often shifting to city spots that

get torn up next.

Volunteers press on, having saved over 30,000 bats total, 4,000 alone last winter.

In tub times, these efforts remind us resilience flows through people and wildlife alike.