The pony Valet, rescued from the Kherson region, was initially afraid of a giraffe, but now has two foals at the Mykolaiv Zoo

At the Mykolaiv Zoo they told the story of Shetland ponies Valet and Ponyasha, who were evacuated from the Kherson region; the animals were brought on 29 May 2022 from the village of Posad-Pokrovske, since then they have lived in the zoo and adapted well, and in 2024 Valet became a father.

On the zoo’s official page they explained that Shetland ponies are among the oldest and shortest breeds of horses, but are known for their endurance and strength. In past centuries they were employed for heavy work in coal mines, and today these animals often work with children in riding clubs and are used in hippotherapy.

After the onset of the full-scale war the zoo in Mykolaiv became a refuge for animals from dangerous areas. Among those rescued were two Shetland ponies: the stallion Valet, born in 2016, and the mare Ponyasha, born in 2021. They were transported from a settlement that was constantly under fire, and their initial adaptation to the new environment was taken care of.

In the first days the animals were nervous; a spacious enclosure was arranged for them. An unexpected meeting with a neighbor — a giraffe named Logan — frightened the ponies, as they had never seen such a large animal before. To relieve stress, staff organized an introductory “walk” around the grounds for Valet and Ponyasha, introducing them to the elephants, camels and other exotic residents, after which the ponies got used to the new conditions and joined the local herd.

In 2024 Valet sired offspring for the first time: from the mares nicknamed Cinderella and Palma two foals were born — Privat and Pavich. The foals inherited a rare black-pied coloring from their father.

Ponyasha is now kept together with the other mares of the zoo; the local ponies demonstrate cohesion and jointly care for the young. After Privat’s foal was born Ponyasha helped the parents care for the baby. Staff also note the gentle nature of Shetlands: they gladly interact with people, allow themselves to be petted and are always happy at feeding time.

In the post the zoo urged visitors to find time to visit the Shetland pony enclosures, as the animals are always happy to see guests.

Earlier we wrote:

• At the Mykolaiv Zoo, elephants and hippos have pools, and the bears cool off with fruit ice cream
• Leyla, the daughter of Mykolaiv’s camel Zaurbek, settled in the Mykolaiv Zoo —
• Capybaras Alf and Lata debuted at the Mykolaiv Zoo
• Lions, giraffes and people with big hearts: the Mykolaiv Zoo – 125 years
• Why tapirs and capybaras disappeared: the Mykolaiv Zoo explained the situation