NEWS ARCHIVE: FEBRUARY 2012

February 25, 2012 Website "Euro-Radio" Bialowieza bison to harm the collective farm fields

Farms of the Pruzhany district get significant losses from the forest dwellers in recent years.

According to the newspaper "Evening Brest", bison come to the fields with winter crops. They raked food by their hooves and arrange rest places. The farm "Ant" because of the invasion of inoculating animals has to reseed at least one hundred hectares of winter rape, and rye, winter triticale. People are trying to scare bison, but owners of Belovezhskaya Pushcha are almost nothing to fear.

Fencing net does not help from bison. The crop insurance does not solve the problem either. At the same time, violations were not found in the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" which territory allows bison to come to fields. All feeding platforms were recently surveyed - animals get food enough.
February 25, 2012 Website "BelTeleRadioCompany" Nourishing off winter before Lent

Father Frost warmed guests with hot tea and pancakes today in Belovezhskaya Pushcha on Pancake Day celebration. Tourists from all over the country and abroad arrived to the estate of Santa Claus. They walked along the bridge of wishes, circle dances and, of course, burned an effigy of winter. The culmination of the festival was seeing helpers of Santa Claus: Snow Maiden and Winter Mother. They went to the elegant carriage to the following New Year's holidays.

You can watch the most striking event of the penultimate day of the Pancake Carnival in the program "Panorama".

(You can see the video clip by downloading the file from here, in Russian)
February 25, 2012 Website "Capital TV (STV)" Over 800,000 tourists from 93 countries around the world visited Belovezhskaya Pushcha over 9 years


There were bid farewell to winter in Belovezhskaya Pushcha and summed up the result of work. Over 800,000 visitors from more than 90 countries visited the National Park for almost 9 years. The residence of Belarusian Grandfather Frost traditionally remains the most popular place.

The Pancake week in Belovezhskaya Pushcha is traditionally the time of summing up of the work of the Santa Claus residence - how many children have written letters to the winter wizard, how many kids have received gifts and how many foreigners have discovered this relic forest. However, talking about some kind of closure is not necessary. The flow of tourists, who come to Belovezhskaya Pushcha, does not stop all year round.

Tatiana, together with the Moscow travel club, visited many countries. Every year gets a new route and new discoveries. The experienced traveler was back in Belovezhskaya Pushcha with nostalgia. She was the last time in this relic forest 30 years ago.

Tatiana Timozhena, tourist (Russia):
It was then much more modest.
I liked very much in Belarus, in city of Brest. Yesterday we saw your lamplighter, and today have reached such the huge celebration. It's just luck.
The next year, we plan to come to you in the New Year period.


Dariya Boyko, tourist (Russia):
I liked everything. I will tell all if I do not forget. And forget it is just unreal. It is if the world was plunged into another.

Even the gloomy weather did not spoil the festive mood. Hundreds of people came to enjoy pancakes and have fun at the highest Christmas spruce. Someone was with children, and someone like Sergei and his friends were in a great and friendly company.

Sergei Kratyuk, tourist (Ukraine):
We came to celebrate Pancake Day in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. It does not matter what is the weather. We have a merry company, we are many.

Tourists from 93 countries worldwide visited the residence of Santa Claus over 9 years. The next year, a millionth visitor is waited here as reported in the news program "24 Hours" on STV.

Santa Claus:
I remember a parliamentary group from Sudan. They came to minus 15 degrees, whereas their average temperature is plus 29.
I have to warn all that the millionth visitor will receive a gift from my hands. Everyone is asking how to do this? Come every day!


No matter of how high is service and its variety, but people are the key factor for most tourists. And the kindness and hospitality are still the main trumps of Belarusians.

Tatiana Andreyanova, tourist (Russia):
I liked everything, beautiful and enigmatic, mysterious traveling through the forest.

Sergei Dvurechenskiy, tourist (Russia):
All is great and fun. We are welcomed by the Belarusian people with such a hearty desire to see us. We were greeted with a soul everywhere. We still want to visit more than once.






(You can see the video clip by downloading the file from here, in Russian)
February 23, 2012 Website "The State Nature Protection Establishment "The National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha"" Helping hand for feathered friends

Dozens of species of migratory birds remain for the winter every year in Belarus. This fall has been much delayed, and it was warm enough nearly to the middle of January. So, the number of birds which did not flow away to warmer climes was particularly large this winter, the thousands of individuals.

Late winter is quickly made up for lost time, as once covered Belovezhskaya Pushcha with white snow and put all forest rivers into ice shell. Rivers with a strong stream are also frozen over. As a result, waterfowl were in a quandary.

An adult mute swan was in the freezing cold trap, not far from the bridge over the river of Pravaya Lesnaya in the village of Kamenyuki. The exhausted bird was no longer able to resist a strong current in the unfrozen patch of water, 2 by 2 meters.

People caring about it reported the National Park's staff that took the bird in a warm place and put it on rations. A few hours later the swan warmed up and began to eat. Most of all it liked oatmeal, millet and corn cereal, animals mixed fodder, fresh cabbage leaves and white bread. A bucket of clean water served as replacement of water spaces.

Soon, the swan began to show him at home and its "wild nature" as meeting the approaching man with hissing. Three weeks later, the wild bird has regained strength and began to demand freedom. By this time the frosts are over and the river is free of ice. It was therefore decided to release the "royal bird" at will.

Finally the bird was carefully inspected and released in their native element.


February 22, 2012 Website "Savageworld.ru" The first bison were delivered to the UK under the program to revive their population in the country


Back in 1919, there were wild places in the UK and people could meet with bison there. The number of animals had already been minimal - only 54 individuals. So, it is nothing to say about our time.

There was no one specimen of this huge bull on the island for a long time. But not so long ago, as many as three males of these majestic animals were brought in the New Forest Wildlife Park, which is located near the town od Longdown, Hampshire County.

Where have these animals been brought from? It is not entirely clear as the website dailymail.co.uk keeps silence about it. It just says well-known facts like the largest population of European bison in Europe lives in the Bialowieza Forest Reserve, and the Reserve is located on the territory of Belarus and Poland. They can also be found in Ukraine, Lithuania, Slovakia and Russia.

As you may have guessed, bison were imported into the country for the purpose of reproduction and population recovery in the UK. However, three males are not able to pup the idea into life :) That's why three females will be joined soon and that's when the program starts officially. Perhaps, males are acting now as spies...

The general manager of the Park said about the dangers that may lie in wait for a stupid person, if he decides to approach the bison - "These animals weigh about a ton, they're just awkward at first sight. In fact, bison are very fast and can easily catch up with an insolent man".

The Park's staff is very excited about these beauties. Employees have high expectations for an increase in the growth of the bison population.
February 21, 2012 "Vecherniy Brest" (Evening Brest) newspaper Borders of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" to "push" to a bypass road

In accordance with Presidential Decree No 59 "On some issues of specially protected natural territories", the border of the buffer zone of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" will be held along the new bypass road.

So, Belovezhskaya Pushcha will legally be closer to the tourists traveling on the newly constructed highway. The decree will come into force three months after its publication. That is in early May of 2012.

The new "Regulations on the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha"" approved by Decree involves changing the existing boundaries of functional zones. Particularly, the size of the strictly protected zone (Wilderness Protection Zone) is significantly increased (from 30.7 to 57.0 thousand hectares), while the Economic Activity Zone (from 57.2 to 46.1 thousand hectares) and the Regulated Nature Zone (from 57.3 to 39.1 thousand hectare) are decreased. The size of the Regulated Recreational Use Area designed for the development of tourism activities and the socio-economic issues of the local population will be 7.8 hectares.

However, the most global change will affect the Support Zone (or Buffer Zone) where lands are retained by the users, but there are some limitations of economic activities. Now, after the expansion of the border of the Buffer Zone to the bypass road, it will cover a number of villages and agricultural lands.

Now the area of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" is 152,962 hectares. In addition, the Park manages the Forest and Game Ground "Shereshevo" of the area of 11,520 hectares and the Forest and Game Ground "Vygonovskoe" of the area of 90,900 hectares.

By Elena Tribuleva
February 20, 2012 Website "VSESMI.RU" Bison to be allowed to shoot

President Lukashenko started crackdown on hunting and fishing. Nikolai Bambiza, director general of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" , deputy chairman of the "Belarusian Society of Hunters and Fishermen" and head of the Society Yuri Shumsky were pressed.

"We agreed with you a few months ago that you make an opinion in principle on the further functioning of the "Belarusian Society of Hunters and Fishermen. This is, first of all, due to all those defects that were opened. We saw them as a part of the work of this organization," Lukashenko stressed. "The number of drawbacks, I think, is more than enough, and you saw them more open and brighter than others. I've been waiting for your suggestions in this regard. First, hunting and fishing is an integral part of tourism. If a tourist comes here, it's not just rest. Probably more than half of them want to go hunting, fishing, etc. Therefore, it is an economic component. I should, first of all, get information from you about the problems in the industry, about the direction in which it should be developed, and what the situation happens there. Therefore, you will have a greater responsibility than before, and I'll be working more closely with you."

President of Belarus has taken the industry by chance in personal control, as hunting brings a good income for the country in times of crisis. Since last year bison, the symbol of Belarus which is listed in a Red Data Book and is banned for hunting, was one of the most offering trophy to get currency. However, shooting the animals has caused outrage in the country. Last year Internet users found hunting online auction organized by the leadership of Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Bets (lots) on the life of bison have been offered - the highest bidder will be able to shoot the animal. In order to save the bison, Internet users have begun to attack the website trough registering in it and constantly increasing the value. The sale had to stop Several times to clean out the false rate, and this extended the life of the animal for a month.

Deputy Chief of the State Tourist Enterprise "TsentrKurort" Sergei Sosunkevicha said that 8,000 users were registered on the website. "Only 5 people of eight thousand of these hunters had money, the rest were "the rescuers" whose activity is severely hindered us. So we changed the rules for registration, called back all wishing and asked special hunting questions for everyone. Nevertheless, the auction could not be finished because a buyer at first convinced us of his seriousness and full solvency, and offered 41,000 Euros for the bison head, but then refused to buy it. Other four bidders, who put smaller amounts, also refused to deal in the future. "Being clear that Belarusians will give a way to save their beloved bison, the state decided not to conduct the open trade more and sold bison for hunters on a case-by-case basis.

The correspondent of "SP" found that the "TsentrKurort" sells life of Bialowieza bison for 40,000 Euros, officially referring to it as "the trophy at the gold medal". A new scandal erupted in November when the Minister of Sport and Tourism Cheslav Shulga reported on how his department is struggling with financial and economic crisis and made a statement that a German millionaire came to the National Park to hunt the bison, and it has brought 450,000 Euros to the country for 3 days. To pay this sum, the German had to shoot at least 11 animals. The public anger reached the strength as much as the official hastened to give up his words one week after the announcement. The management of Belovezhskaya Pushcha also took up a defensive position – the National Park declared that no Germans came to hunt there. Then experts began to appear in the national media as aimed at regulating the public opinion that bison just need to be shot.

/svpressa.ru/
February 18, 2012 Websie "artnow.ru" Vladimir Kozlov. Morning in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. A sketch


February 17, 2012 Website "RosInvest.Com " Roadside service of Belarus focuses on providing comprehensive facilities

Roadside service facilities in Belarus should provide comprehensive services, as the Minister of Trade Valentin Chekanov announced today at a meeting of the joint board of the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of Sports and Tourism devoted to development of roadside services, as BelTA learned.

Roadside service, which combines the public catering and trade, gas stations, parking areas, maintenance service points and so on, is popular abroad. According to the Minister, Belarus should also take a course on the development of such facilities. "They should be comprehensive so that the driver is able not only to eat, but also relax, take a shower, sleep and, if necessary, to repair his car, he said. "Unfortunately, these objects still insufficient, especially near large cities".

According to him, roadside service has to be service of hospitality and welcoming attitude to road users. Its quality in Belarus is still poor. First of all, it is the need to improve the appearance of trading floors, provide a more attentive attitude to customers from the vendors and service staff. Souvenir trade spots need increasingly to be developing. "All this should be there, because such objects form a general idea about the country," said the Minister. The objects of roadside service must equate to the European model and to improve their quality.

The Minister of Sport and Tourism Oleg Kachan focused on the problem of roadside services on the roads leading to the objects of historical and cultural heritage of international importance, such as Belovezhskaya Pushcha, Mir Castle, Nesvizh, Polotsk and others. "We need to objectively consider the issues of the road service in districts and take effective measures to satisfy a want of the population and tourists, including those who will come to us at the world hockey championship in 2014," said the Minister. Oleg Kachan proposed to build a clear strategy for the development of these areas.
February 17, 2012 Website "The State Nature Protection Establishment "The National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha"" Animals change their registration

According to the agreement with the State Forest Institution "Teterinskoe" of the Mogilev region and permission obtained in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" has recently delivered another group of red deer to this forestry institution. The deer population was formed there mainly by animals imported earlier from the Voronezh region, Russia. Adding the new blood will help improve the genetic diversity and the sustainable population. This year 17 animals were SFD sent to the "Teterinskoe". The cold weather contributed to rapid catching the deer as it forced them to come to feeding sites.
February 16, 2012 Website "Capital TV (STV)" Belovezhskaya Pushcha has twice as many

Belarusian national parks change borders and rules of management. This kind of decision is in the relevant Decree of the President. The document was adopted in order to implement the state program on development of the system of protected areas. Changes are expected for the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve and national parks "Pripyatskiy", "Narochanskiy", "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" and "Braslav Lakes". For example, the strictly protected zone (Wilderness Protection Zone) of the NP "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" almost doubled.

Mass recreation and tourism activities are also regulated. They are permitted only within the boundaries of the recreational and economic zones of the parks and on specially designated areas of the Reserve, the news program "24 Hours" on STV said.
February 15, 2012 Website "Business Leader" How much bigger will Belovezhskaya Pushcha be?

The boundaries of Belarusian national parks will soon be transformed, as BelTA informs. In addition, they will change their zoning scheme and rules of protection and economic activities. That is provided by the new Presidential Decree number 59.

Changes will cover the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve and national parks "Pripyatskiy", "Narochanskiy", "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" and "Braslav Lakes". It is noted in the presidential administration that the decree specified the size of lands within parks and Biosphere Reserve. Some of them are excluded from the areas because they do not meet environmental goals. However, some of the parks, quite the contrary, will be expanded. For example, the strictly protected area of Belovezhskaya Pushcha will be increased from 30,700 to 57,000 hectares. The border of the Buffer zone will take place along the bypass highway.

Reportedly, the new boundaries will not affect researches in these areas and will not be an obstacle to enforcement and supervisory functions. Innovations will help keep unique natural ecosystems as untouched standards, and their biological diversity.

Vitaly Babin
February 14, 2012 Website "BELTA" The strictly protected zone of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" almost doubled

The document was adopted in order to implement the State Program for Development of Protected Areas for 2008 to 2014.

In accordance with the Presidential decree, the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve and national parks "Belovezhskaya Pushcha", "Braslav Lakes", "Pripyatskiy" and "Narochanskiy" were converted, with the change of borders, zones, rules of protection and activities on these protected areas.

In 2010 and 2011, the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve and national parks completed work on preparation for the change of borders and protection rules, including the coordinates of the turning points and their boundaries in accordance with the scheme of rational distribution of protected areas of national importance.

The Decree approved the Regulations for the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve and national parks, their borders and areas, as well as national parks' lands and their functional and buffer zones. Amendments and additions to previously adopted regulations to declare protected areas were made.

As a result of changes in land utilization structure, areas were specified through the usage of modern techniques. Lands which special purposes don't meet environmental goals were excluded from national parks.

Changes in boundaries and management rules of national parks aimed primarily at ensuring compliance with applicable national and international laws. So, the area of strictly protected zone of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" has been increased from 30,700 to 57,000 ha and its buffer zone boundary has been set along the road bypass.

Established management rules do not prevent the possibility of research, control and oversight functions. Moreover, they will help preserve the natural state of typical and unique natural ecosystems, as well as biological and landscape diversity.

Recreational and tourist activities are ordered in these protected areas. Thise include traditional forms of recreational fishing and hunting, and gathering berries and mushrooms, which will be carried out within the recreational and economic zones of national parks and on specially designated areas of the Reserve.

Regulations for the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve and national parks were discussed at meetings of scientific and technical councils of state environmental agencies with the participation of the National Academy of Sciences, Ministry of Natural Resources, State Property Committee, regional and district executive committees, public organizations and other stakeholders.

Thus, the Decree is a legal basis for the effective operation and improvement of management tools for areas of environmental purposes at the national and international levels.

BelTA
February 14, 2012 Website "BELTA" House of Hunter and House of Fisherman will be opened in the summer in Belovezhskaya Pushcha

House of Hunter and House of Fisherman will be opened in the National Park (NP) "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" in the upcoming summer season, as BelTA was informed in the Park's administration.

House of Fisherman is built at the Lake "Lava" approximately 6 km from the administrative center. Anyone can drive up to it on the bike. A new tourist route is developed in that direction. Accommodations in the Fisherman's House are not expected, but if bad weather fishermen could be able to relax, bask in the fire and cook food in the equipped kitchen.

Hunters' House will be located in close proximity to the simplified crossing on the Belarusian-Polish border "Pererov-Bialowieza" at the eponymous Lake "Pererov". Hunters will be able to spend the night there. The House is designed for a one-time stay of five or six people.

The National Park constantly pay attention to the development and improvement of tourist services. For example, a new hotel in 39 comfortable rooms, conference hall, swimming pool, sauna and gym were opened in 2009.

Now visitors can be served in a hotel complex which consists of four buildings on the 250-bed category with the numbers "junior", "luxury" and "VIP" classes. In addition, fans of the secluded vacation can stay in the old mansion of Count Tyszkiewicz (9 beds). A Russian bath which will start in the summer is built for vacationers there.

Visitors have the opportunity themselves to learn Belovezhskaya Pushcha inside and to get in touch with its past and present, along with the traditional sightseeing, by selecting any of the four proposed routes of travel. The bicycle route "Animal crossing" of the length of 16 km takes tourists to the south of Pushcha, where beautiful oak forests and fens can be seen. The easiest of the proposed cycle routes is "Royal Meadow" (length 10 km) and its final point - the royal meadow, a place where the family of the Russian Emperor were placed after hunting on holiday. The longest of the bicycle routes is "Great Journey" which offers 4 hours to overcome the 27 km. Respite during this trip is supposed in the Estate of Father Frost, where cyclists can test kebabs, pancakes with honey and Pushcha's medicinal tea. The easiest route "Sacred Oak" is for walking of 2.5 km. Travelers will have a touching with the real natural reserved forest where any human activity is prohibited. Traveling along this route have a unique opportunity to visit the place of burning coal (XVIII), and, on occasion, even to see watering wild boars, deer and bison in the forest.

Olga Kobyak
February 14, 2012 "Vecherniy Brest" (Evening Brest) newspaper" Pushcha is still without a Diploma

The issues of the renewal of the European Diploma for the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" was considered on February 9 and 10 in Strasbourg, which hosted the annual meeting of the Expert Group on Conserved Areas.

Applications for prolongation of the European Diploma for the unique natural areas from ten different countries were considered at the meeting. The prestigious award is granted for 5 years with possibility of extension, and the right to its possession is to be confirmed each time. Two of the nominees, Armenia and Ireland, applied for the award of the Diploma for the first time.

The expert in the field of landscape ecology Eckhart Kuijken (Belgium), who visited our country last fall to familiarize himself with the new management plan for the Reserve, reported information on the situation in the Bialowieza National Park (Poland) and the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" (Belarus). The development of this plan was a prerequisite for the renewal of the European Diploma.

Eckhart Kuijken noted that a lot for the positive solution of the problem has been done on both sides of the border, but there are points which are yet out of reaching a consensus by the management of the parks and European experts.

As a result, according to Deputy Director General of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" Vasilly Arnolbik, additional materials had been requested from the Polish and Belarusian sides. Proposals to introduce them to the Standing Committee of the Council of Europe under the Berne Convention were drawn up at the meeting.

It seems that the final decision on the renewal or non-renewal of the European Diploma to Belovezhskaya Pushcha will explicitly be not made in the coming months. Recall this high honor was awarded to the Reserve in 1997, but after 10 years its validity was suspended for a number of violations in nature protection. Since then, our country is trying to return the Diploma.

Elena Tribuleva
February 13, 2012 Website "European Broadcast" To kill a bison costs from 6 to 40 000 Euros


ERB has ordered a bison hunt - "they were moved from the main gene pool fund to the reserved one."

There is no problem in Belarus legally to kill the bison and take its head as a trophy. Why then the poachers? "Five bison are available. Largest male is worth of 40,000 Euros. There are 30,000 and 25,000, as well as a female of 15,000 Euros. They were moved from the main gene pool fund to the reserved one," is said in the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha".

And they add that will help you with the documents. A bison can be selected from at least five animals. The most expensive costs 40,000 Euros and will get a gold medal.

"This is the maximum prize for the international rating system. Number of points is given to the trophy and the quality of medals - silver, gold, bronze - is set," as explained in the National Park "Bialowieza Forest".

Bison belonging to the reserved gene pool fund are killed. These are old or sick individuals, as said in the National Park. However, the "gold medal"!

"They are quite old, at least 20 years, and have complete trophies. Hunters are interested in the trophy head, not in the meat. Two heads were recently taken in France."

Bison in Hunting Ground "White Trail" are cheaper. The web site even posts a price list - the male to the gold medal costs 14,000 Euro, for the silver is 11,800, and to kill a female costs only 6,300 Euros.

While the ERB got through to the "White Trail", the female in 6,300 disappeared.

An employee of the "White Trail" said: "They have one bison, the female, the only one. And wait ... That's all, they would not shoot the latter's female."

The State Interprise "TsentrKurort" of the Presidential Administration put a bison on the auction. The initial price of the animal was 40,000 Euros. Those, who want to kill it, then raised the price to 55,000 for a day.

The Ministry of Natural Resources does not see problems in the shooting of bison because they are sick or old.

Officer of the Ministry of Natural Resources says "Bison reached old age – females and males aged 17 years, or sick bison with an incurable disease, or weakened and blind individuals – are transferred to the reserved gene pool fund. Last year, only three European bison were put to the reserved fund."

At the same time much more animals were exposed to shoot.

According to the Ministry of Natural Resources, the number of bison in Belarus is now at the middle of the XVIII century. Belarusian forests are home to 983 bison.

Artem Martynovich,
Audio version here (In Russian)
Photo by oboxote.ru
February 13, 2012 Website "The State Nature Protection Establishment "The National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha"" New facilities

The National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" is constantly concerned about improving tourist services. As a part of this, new facilities are built to facilitate a more comfortable stay of visitors. Particularly, the "House of Fisherman" at the lake "Lava" and a bath in the former estate of Count Tyszkiewicz were newly commissioned. Now lovers of fishing can relax in the comfortable furnished house, bask in the chimney corner, cook food in the equipped kitchen, and even spend the night. Those who rest in the old mansion of Count Tyszkiewicz can improve their health by way of Pushcha's healing air and in the steam Russian bath.
February 09, 2012 Website "Rossiyskaya Gazeta" History is not far off. Archaeologists again "open" Belovezhskaya Pushcha

This year, archaeologists are going to an expedition in Gorki of the Mogilev region. close to the Gorki is Gory (Mountains). There, according to Olga Levko, head of the Center of the History of Pre-industrial Societies at the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the settlement of the tenth century remained.

Researches will continue in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, Vadim Lakiza promised, Head of Department of Archaeology of Primitive Society at the Institute of History:

"There are many monuments which were not known until recently. We are going to open a summer school camp in the Kamenetz district that local guys to find historical things with their hands procured, not only red from books. The artifacts will then be passed to the Pushcha's museum.

Last year the Tourist and Recreational Park "August Channel" was established. Businessmen willingly invest there. Archaeologists are also going to work in summer.

Scientists from the Institute of History are going to study about 30 archeological sites across the country in 2012. They together with French colleagues are planning to work on the bank of the Berezina River in the vicinity of the famous Brilevskaya Field, where the Russian army defeated the army of Napoleon in 1812.

Victor Korbut
"Union. Belarus-Russia" No 537 (5)
February 09, 2012 Website "UDF.BY" Will Russians be punished for the murder of a Belarusian bison?

Illegal hunting of animals continues.

A criminal investigation into the killing of three bison in Nalibokskaya Pushcha was opened in the Volozhin destrict. Two employees of the Volozhin Forest Enterprise, who supposedly helped "tourists" kill the animals, were detained.

"According to the preliminary version, Russian citizens took part in a hunting. They gained permission to hunt wild boar in Nalibokskaya Pushcha", Deputy Minister of Forestry Fedor Lisitsa said. The amount of the loss will be determined by the court. If the case will be called "very large", foresters and hunters face a lengthy prison term. Under the Criminal Code, the maximum penalty under the article "Poaching" is six years in prison. However, depending on the circumstances of the situation, it may come to fines. According to Fedor Lisitsa, before the end of the investigation is early to talk about the possible punishment.

The case promises to be loud because director and chief forester of the Volozhin Forest Enterprise, as well as head of the Department of Nature Protection and Hunting Tourism at the Minsk Regional Forestry Union are removed from offices. However, the authorities are not particularly outraged by the fact of killing of rare animals, but a lack of payment for it.

Meanwhile, illegal hunting continue and it happens under the patronage of the President's Administration too. "Hunting for bison costs from 20 to 40 thousand Euros. It is held in the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" and one can hunt for specially selected animals. As a trophy you can pick up horns with the skull without the lower jaw," is said in the State Institution "TsentrKurort", which is subject to Presidential Department of Economic Management. Employees assure that only old or sick bison are shot in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, as the law provides: "Otherwise we would have taken away the license.".

However, pictures of foreign hunters with trophies from Belarusian forests are appearing from time to time in the Internet. A slain bison gives to the hunter 170 points in the world classification of hunters and a gold medal. Hunters compete with each other through such indicators. It is impossible to get high scores for the sick animal. Most likely, foreign "tourists" were killing healthy bison. The "TsentrKurort" has not commented this fact.

Belsat
February 07, 2012 Website "The State Nature Protection Establishment "The National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha"" A swan to rescue

The harsh cold winter is a real test for our birds and animals. The lake in Belovezhskaya Pushcha was frozen over. The wintering waterfowl found food there. Swans were flying in vain and searching for the unfrozen lake in Pushcha, as being weakened from starvation. A young swan was exhausted very much. It could no longer fly and fell on a bare snow-covered field. It sat on the cold snow and barely moved, the more that paws were frostbitten. The bird in distress was found by a ranger of the Oschepskoe forest area of the National Park and taken home. When the swan became a little stronger, it was handed over to the Grodno Zoo.

February 06, 2012 Website "The State Nature Protection Establishment "The National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha"" A white stork in a winter forest

The most severe winter weather is now. First migratory birds will return from warm lands only in mid-March.

It is therefore particularly surprising that a white stork was observed in Belovezhskaya Pushcha at the end of January. It circled over the snow-covered forest, looking for a place to feed. The local scientists suggest that this is one of the birds of the last year which could not fly with their neighbors. The abnormally warm fall and early winter without snow helped the stork survive in this period. But most likely, someone kept and fed the stork, and it became free in some way. Hopefully, the white-winged bird will join a human habitation and people will help it survive until spring.
February 01, 2012 Website "Regionby" Elks are main culprits among animals to provoke fatal crash in the Brest region


Elks on a road
During 2011, two people were lost and seven were injured in six car accidents in the Brest region caused by animals.

According to the road police's press service at the end of January, losses were less in 2010. Elks and two cows appeared on the carriageway were perpetrators of accidents in 2011. Collisions with elks occurred mainly in Kamenetz, Ivatsevichi and Baranovichi districts. Moreover, 16 cases were mentioned in the last district.

It is noteworthy that animals were killed on the spot in the majority of all accidents. These are only recorded cases. In reality, the number of deaths of small forest animals can be measured in hundreds. Their number increased much after entering the motorway going around Belovezhskaya Pushcha as the animals are accustomed to use the trails of their ancestors. According to experts, noise, light in the dark, warm asphalt in summer and salt with in winter attract animals to be on the road.

Source: Belarusian Regional News
February 01, 2012 Website "Wild Nature" Nature protection sanctuaries and hunting game grounds of the Brest region are becoming more attractive for tourists

Nature protection sanctuaries and hunting game grounds of the Brest region are becoming more attractive for tourists, as the Deputy Director of the Department Nikolai Glushenya said at a board of the Department of Physical Culture, Sport and Tourism of the Brest Regional Executive Committee.

According to Nikolai Glushenya, in 2011, over 7.7 thousand tourists, that are 2.3 times more than in 2010, visited nature protection sanctuaries located in the region. 39 environmental cognitive trails and paths are today for tourists. In the past year, 7 nature protection sanctuaries of national significance and the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" designed hiking trails with the possibility of photo-shoot, in order to organize outdoor activities.

Since 2005, 110 new tourist routes were opened in the region. At present, 142 basic options including 53 environmental and 19 cross-border routes are offered for tourists. 66 placement points, of which 41 are state-owned, 24 private and one foreign company can serve tourists in the Brest region.

According to Nicholas Glushenya, the tourism infrastructure in the region will increased by more than 300 objects by 2016, as part of the program of development of tourism in the Brest region for 2011-2015. That was approved by decision of the Brest Regional Executive Committee. Areas of Pripyat Polesie, as well as two major highways - M1E30 highway and the road bypassing the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" - will remain the priority to the development of tourism infrastructure.

Photo by Sergei Plytkevich
Source: BELTA
February 01, 2012 Website "The State Nature Protection Establishment "The National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha"" For the future of the forest

Winter is the period to harvest seeds of conifers. In late January of this year, the National Park has delivered to the seed breeding processing plant of the Forest Enterprise "Schuchinsky Forestry" 7.7 tones of spruce cones collected in the forests of Belovezhskaya Pushcha. By mid-February it will be to collect and submit for processing about 10 tons of pine cones. The resulting seeds will be sown in spring in the new forest nursery in the National Park. Then the cultivated plants will be used for the reconstruction of the Pushcha's forests. Only seedlings from the seeds of the local reproduction will be used for tree planting.