«The best thing in life is to see those we've helped take flight or run away.» A Belarusian woman tells how she saves wild animals

By the way, it all started for her with a passion for equestrian sports. It so happened that initially, she and a group of other young volunteers who worked with horses were brought two storks.

They didn't manage to save the birds then, but that was the beginning. Learning that the volunteers were willing to help unusual animals, they were brought a crow, then an owl. And gradually, injured wildlife from all over the Minsk region began to arrive. Iryna then sold her first horses to set up enclosures. And she began to think about how to get official status as an environmental protection institution. It turned out to be quite simple — just half a day's work. The difficulties started later, when she had to look for money for fines.

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— In Belarus, you cannot take wild animals from nature without state permission. We didn't know about this and inadvertently violated a whole bunch of laws. I came to the ministry and honestly explained: "This and that, we are guilty, what should we do now?" We paid many fines to legalize the animals. The problem was that we were the first to engage in rescuing wild animals, and a clear algorithm of actions simply did not exist. We developed it on the fly together with official agencies — by trial and error.

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Another problem is that wild animals are terra incognita for veterinarians. Only a few are willing to work with them because they don't know how. Many fear infection, fear making a mistake. I'm not even talking about birds — that's a whole other world that few are willing to deal with. Over the years of work, we've learned to do some things ourselves — treat, amputate, hand-feed, raise, release into the wild…

Since the center's inception, over 5,000 animals have passed through the hands of volunteers, about 30% of whom returned to nature. Today, at any given moment, about 100 individuals live at "Sirin." Approximately 60 of them are permanent residents: horses, domestic animals, and those wild animals that cannot survive in the wild. About 30-40 individuals are temporarily at the center — undergoing treatment, in quarantine, or being fattened.

— Aren't you afraid to deal with wild animals yourself?

— I'm afraid of moose. They are very difficult to work with, even the small ones. Moose calves, for example, are incredibly strong — it's very easy to get kicked by them if they happily run towards you for milk. Once, we received a very fierce badger — it terrorized all the staff. Fortunately, we didn't have to contact it: it was in quarantine, and our task was simply to feed it on time, and for the rest of the time, carefully avoid it.

To an ordinary person, wolves would probably seem scary. But I can say that I approach a wolf morally and physically prepared, with all precautions. I understand that it is a wild predator, ready to defend itself and fight "to the death." This means either it will overcome us, or we will overcome it. In this sense, unfamiliar dogs frighten me more because I don't know what to expect from them.

Otherwise, any wild animal should be approached with caution, and one should not interfere without extreme necessity. A swan, for example, if its wings are not restrained, can easily break your arm with one powerful flap.

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— Has that ever happened at your center?

— Sometimes I or the staff were bitten or scratched — that happened. But nothing more serious, fortunately, has occurred. Nevertheless, we know what risks we are taking, so, for example, we regularly get vaccinated against rabies. If we had contact with animals whose diagnosis was confirmed (it is always made post-mortem, after appropriate examination), we all go to get vaccinated together.

— What is the most difficult thing about rescuing animals?

— The fact that we are not omnipotent. When an animal dies in your arms, thoughts always come that everything could have been different. What if not enough was done, what if you made a mistake somewhere. It seems that everyone else succeeds, and only you don't. Especially since you have to hear a lot of criticism. We are often forced to make decisions about euthanasia, refusing wheelchairs and prostheses for disabled animals.

If a wild animal or bird, after treatment, can live near a person without suffering, we will save them and keep them at the center. If not — unfortunately. It can be very difficult to explain to people that wild animals are not like cats and dogs. If an animal needs its paw treated every day, force-fed, given injections, domestic pets will accept such help normally because they are used to humans. But for a wild animal, contact with people is additional suffering, which repeatedly prolongs and intensifies its pain. It will never "understand" or "appreciate" such "help."

Павялічыць

— Winter has been harsh. Did the "Uli" snowfall add to your work?

— Probably no one was ready for such a winter, including us. Many of our birds in outdoor aviaries found it difficult, and all had to be urgently relocated. But now, weakened birds and animals, weakened by hunger, are being brought to us in large numbers, and there is simply not enough space. Cages, carriers, and aviaries are needed. Additional heaters. Something breaks down from old age, something is simply missing, and using them is not cheap. Electricity bills have increased significantly.

In addition, we faced a problem with feed. Part of the supplies turned out to be isolated — we spent a long time digging a path to the hangar where grain is stored. And the meat for warmth is walled up in freezers because they froze so much that we can't open them (the hangar where the refrigerators stand now has sub-zero temperatures). So we will have to unexpectedly buy food for predators.

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Animals outside, in the forests, were also unprepared for the frosts, especially those that did not fly south. The main problem is the lack of food. After starving for several days and being unable to find food under the snow, the birds became weak. And on top of that, terrible frosts "sealed" their fate. Natural selection, of course, has not been cancelled. But it's also impossible to pass by weakened animals today… Especially since many of them were unprepared for the harsh winter solely due to our fault: swans, storks, ducks…

Павялічыць

Contrary to what we always ask people to "not touch what is lying badly," now it's the opposite. If you see a bird in a snowdrift, if you think it's unwell — you're not imagining it. This is not nesting season; this is a difficult period when birds are weakened. The best thing to do is to place the "find" in a box, warm it up, and contact the territorial environmental protection organization to remove the animal from its wild environment.

Many waterfowl have stayed with us, and those that are gathering by the hundreds in unfrozen patches today will not have enough food for everyone. It also makes sense to help them by providing additional food: grain, barley, seeds, oats… As well as urban birds — for whom feeders should be hung. The main thing is not to forget to remove them in the spring.

However, owls turned out to be unprepared for the cold for reasons beyond human control. When we prepare wild owls for release at "Sirin," we try to show them that food also hides in bad weather and that if the rain is long, they can go hungry for several days. Usually, they quickly orient themselves and, guided by instinct, begin to make "stashes."

But recently, predatory birds in nature have had successful hunting all year. They simply got out of the habit of hoarding, and unable to find prey under the suddenly grown snowdrifts, they became severely emaciated.

Unfortunately, humans are unable to feed them. We can't hang mice in trees. In recent days, 12 long-eared owls have arrived at our center. Some of them, unfortunately, arrived already dead. One is badly injured — it was bitten by predators. But we were able to save seven.

— What do you consider the best part of your work?

— Of course, the releases. Seeing the animals we've helped take flight, swim away, or run away — that's what makes it all worthwhile.

— How is the working day structured for "Sirin" employees?

— My day and the day of the animal caretakers are very different. I still run the center as a volunteer. In my daily life, I am a doctor and treat children from Monday to Friday. Except when I urgently need to pick up a wild animal, transport it somewhere, perform complex manipulations, organize filming, repairs, assistance, find money, fill out paperwork, etc. My primary task is to ensure everything works, meaning I'm practically involved around the clock. But on Saturdays and Sundays, I spend all my time with the animals.

For those who work at "Sirin" and receive a salary, the working day varies slightly depending on the season. It starts either at 6 or 8 in the morning: with feeding the horses and taking them out to pasture, then feeding the grain-eaters, and then the diurnal predators. In the morning and evening, all veterinary manipulations need to be performed, and during the day, cleaning. Next on the schedule is distributing food to nocturnal predators, then to the horses. The workday ends between 8 and 11 in the evening.

In summer and spring, we receive a lot of young animals that have been orphaned and need to be fed every three to four hours. Sometimes I keep them at my home and raise them myself if they are in critical condition. If it's not so critical, the young animals stay at the center, and staff set alarms and get up at night to feed the little ones.

— What helps in working with animals? A special gift? Love for nature?

— First of all, it's important not to be too sentimental. Because if you pity every rabbit eaten by a wolf, you won't be able to work. Of course, you need to be empathetic, but at the same time, not forget about your own condition, be decisive, and take responsibility.

We had many people who loved animals very much, cared deeply for them, but they didn't succeed… Either someone would escape, or fly away. Or girls, for example, diligently fed the animals, but didn't pay attention to whether they ate or not. Or they worked "for the soul" — and couldn't overcome their fear of aggression when our patients needed medical procedures. They lacked internal motivation, and we constantly had to wait for someone responsible to arrive who could overcome fear and do what was necessary. In general, as in any profession, it is important to have a calling and desire here.

Павялічыць

— Do you try to earn money for the center's needs?

— Of course, we have horse riding, a zoo, and educational excursions — with animals that comfortably tolerate human presence. Sometimes there are photo sessions. But all this is a drop in the ocean. For the rest, we exist thanks to the help of benefactors. A big thank you to our wonderful people, without whom "Sirin" would have been gone long ago. Although, frankly, we are constantly balancing on the edge.

Павялічыць

— Touching on the topic of zoos: where, in your opinion, are animals better off — in the wild or safe in a cage, where they will live much longer?

— If we're talking about creatures born in the wild, they should remain free for as long as they are destined to, be it a year, or half a year. Let a predator eat them later… For them, that's much better than living 10 years in captivity, stressed by people, fighting and trying to break free. Therefore, for organizations like ours, the question of humanity is very poignant — how expedient is it to nurse and keep disabled animals…

But if an animal was born in a zoo, if it has lived in captivity for several generations — that is its comfort zone, where it feels perfectly fine. Releasing it into the wild is tantamount to killing it. Besides, let's not forget that zoos are often the only way to preserve endangered species.

— What is the most acute problem with wild animals in Belarus? What is important to keep in mind not only for those who work directly with them, but for all of us?

— Probably, the fact that our people, out of kindness, really love to pick up everything "that's lying badly." A swan was left alone in October — urgently feed it! Saw a stork on the street in November — emergency rescue! This is the main problem. Unfortunately, if people didn't interfere, there would be significantly fewer weak, hungry, sick, and dying animals today.

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