Mare gives birth on Ilindenska Boulevard; mother and foal taken to Skopje Zoo
A resident pulled the newborn foal off the road; the mayor says both animals are quarantined and called on veterinary and agriculture authorities to respond.
Early on the morning of Ilindenska Boulevard near the Karpoš 4 neighbourhood in Skopje, a resident discovered a mare that had just given birth and a newborn foal lying on the asphalt, with another horse nearby. The witness pulled the foal to the nearest patch of grass to keep it off the carriageway.
In a post on social media the resident described the scene and her reaction, saying: "Incredible people — or more precisely ‘inhuman’. I was returning this morning along Ilindenska and there, near the end of the street, a mare had just given birth with the foal and another horse. The little one was lying in the middle of the street with the placenta, no one stopping to help. I stopped, I barely pulled it onto the grass beside the road. And, damn, idiots just stood back and filmed with their phones, no one to help me!!!! I barely pulled it out of the middle of the road. That is how sinful we are in our souls, sinful."
City places animals in quarantine at the zoo
Ownership of the animals and how they came to be on Skopje streets remain unknown. Shortly after the social-media report, Skopje Mayor Orce Gjorgjievski announced that the mare and her foal had been taken into care at Skopje Zoo.
"The mare and the foal have been taken and placed in a safe location, in quarantine, where they will receive the necessary care and professional treatment. But with their placement the responsibility does not end," Gjorgjievski wrote, urging a joint response from veterinary and agricultural authorities.
He called for coordinated, prompt action by the Agency for Food and Veterinary and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy, each within their remit. "Concrete measures are needed, such as protection and appropriate care of the animals, accountability for their exploitation and abuse. Although we are not competent, I put the City of Skopje at disposal with all available capacities to help in this action. I expect an immediate response and concrete action. If that fails, we will take the initiative and use all mechanisms within our competencies," the mayor added.
Gjorgjievski also warned that citizens should not become accustomed to images of abandoned and exploited animals on Skopje's streets.
Photo: Fejsbuk-profil na Orce Gjorgjievski
