They died from floods, but were saved by relocation. How aurochs-like cattle now live in Belarus
In spring 2023, during the flood in Polesie, aurochs-like cattle found themselves under threat, as the water cut them off from the mainland. The animals were planned to be moved to a safer place. It seems that the most suitable location has been found for them, writes Tochka.by.
Screenshot from a Tochka.by reader's video
Three years ago, a resident of Pogost village in Zhitkovichi district raised the alarm after stumbling upon the carcasses of wild cattle. It turned out that due to the flood, the animals ended up on small islands and could not reach the floodplain meadows. They were dying of hunger or drowning in attempts to overcome the water barrier. Calves were primarily at risk.
Tochka.by journalists then contacted the local authorities. They spoke about plans to deliver the animals to an area less prone to spring flooding. And, it must be noted, they kept their promise. The aurochs-like cattle were moved to the Sporovsky Reserve.
A Tochka.by reader, who loves traveling to natural places in Belarus, personally confirmed this three years later and shared interesting details about the animals' lives.
How aurochs-like cattle help nature
Relatives of aurochs appeared in Polesie in March 2020 as part of the international UNDP/GEF project "Wetlands" to restore the biodiversity of the Pripyat floodplain meadows. 15 aurochs-like individuals were then transported from the Latvian Kemeri National Park. Their number increased in the new location, but the unprecedented flood of 2023 forced the animals to seek a new home.
Photo: Tochka.by reader
As they told Tochka.by's interviewee, the cattle were indeed exhausted by the flood: they arrived at "Sporovsky" quite thin. Now they have plenty of vegetation at their disposal. And in winter, hay is brought for the animals.
"They say that they know the local tractor driver very well, they come out at the sound of his machinery, understanding that treats have been brought. At the same time, the cattle do not like to 'communicate' with visitors who are taken on excursions by the reserve staff," the traveler shares unique details.
In his opinion, this is the perfect place for the cattle. In addition to reproduction, they solve important natural problems. For example, they eat inconvenient tall grass in bird nesting areas and create mosaic patterns in the territory, attracting other fauna species.
The "Sporovsky" Reserve was the first in the country to receive international protection statuses of Ramsar Site (recognition of the high ecological value of wetlands) and IBA (Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas). Few people know that more than half of the entire population of aquatic warblers nests in Belarus. Overgrowing wetlands hinder their reproduction and lead to a decrease in numbers.
Aquatic warbler. Photo: wikimedia.org
Local farms save the situation as best they can: in places accessible to humans, manual mowing competitions are organized. But this is not enough. It is precisely in hard-to-reach places that cattle perform the function of natural lawnmowers.
Not only cattle were moved to "Sporovsky"
Aurochs-like cattle were brought to "Sporovsky" at roughly the same time as Tarpan-like horses (these from the "Nalibotsky" reserve). The animals spent the quarantine period quite amicably in one enclosure.
Photo: Hleb Biarozin / Tochka.by
Now they have dispersed throughout the local forests and meadows. And together they "mow" the grass in impassable places. The newcomers have integrated into the food chain according to the "law of the jungle". Young animals are not safe from predator attacks. Thus, reserve staff learned from remains that one calf was eaten by wolves - apparently, it was left unattended by adults. But this, as the interviewee notes, is part of that same wild life and natural habitat.
It is also visible that some cattle suffer serious injuries in fights with their kin - for the right to be considered a leader or master of a certain territory.
According to the reserve staff, there are currently about 30 cattle. An exact number is difficult to name for obvious reasons. But, judging by everything, the herd has at least doubled since its relocation from Latvia. Moreover, recently the staff rarely notice females and assume that the "ladies" have gone to give birth in secluded places. This means that the prospect for the development of the local natural environment is strengthened.
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