In winter, zubrs need additional support so they don't suffer from a lack of food. Therefore, the ranger service regularly delivers dozens of tons of hay and other feed to the feeding grounds. A single zubr population can eat up to 50 tons of hay in one winter season, reports the press service of the Hrodna Regional Executive Committee.
The diet of these animals must be not only hearty but also rich in vitamins and beneficial substances. If necessary, mineral mixtures or medicinal preparations are added to the feed.
Salt holds a special place in their diet, serving as a true delicacy for zubrs. Even the most cautious animals, rarely seen in open fields, come to salt licks for it.
As Stanislau Bas'ko, chief specialist of hunting and fishing economy at the "Aziory Hrodna District" agricultural cooperative, noted, the farm has 20 salt licks. In advance, in summer, about 50 tons of hay, approximately 100 tons of beets, and about 50 tons of apples are prepared for winter feeding.
During the filming, a telling incident occurred: less than half an hour after the workers brought a trailer full of feed, a herd of zubrs had already gathered at the feeders and began to eat.
The first 18 zubrs were brought to the Hrodna district from Belavezhskaya Pushcha in 1997. Today, it is the third-largest herd in Belarus by population — about 600 animals, and its number continues to gradually grow.
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