Biebrzański Park Narodowy - w trosce o bagna

Faunal protection

Biebrza Marshes are one of the largest, best preserved slightly transformed by the human lowland bogs in the Middle Europe. A unique value of this area concerns, among other, animal populations occurring on vast wetlands. Disappearance of these biotopes in the European scale seriously threatens with extinction many species occurring in Biebrza Valley. Faunal protection in Biebrza National Park is realized for the purposes of: - biodiversity and its favorable processes protection, - provision of continuity of all native animal species, - provision of correct animal existence conditions through protection, reconstruction and management of biotopes, - maintenance of rare on regional and global scale animal populations and provision of conditions to increase numerical force of rare and endangered species, - protection of wetlands and valuable vertebrates and invertebrates species occurring on these biotopes, - inadmission of introduction and expansion of alien species, - reconstruction of numerical force and structure of specific for particular biotopes animal populations, which as a result of environmental changes don’t undergo natural control mechanisms – such as big mammals, insect species causing gradation, - creating the proper conditions to using the faunal resources for scientific and educational needs. In the spring 2003 a new Animal Rehabilitation Center started its operation in the Grzędy Protective District in Biebrza National Park. Every year many people apply to the Park for giving wild animals found orphaned or wounded, such as young elks, deers, wild boars, nestlings of white-tailed eagle or lesser spotted eagle, as well as owls, storks and swans. In many cases the Park couldn’t take care of these animals, because of lack of adequate lodgings and financial support. Therefore these animals mostly are given to the zoo, or some Park’s employees take care of these animals in private. In 1996 Biebrza NP built the homestead for orphaned elks, which was 9,81 hectares large and was situated in the Grzędy Protective District. Taking into consideration the opinions of people, which regard the national park as the institution obliged to protect wounded, sick or orphaned animals, and also for the purpose of increasing the active faunal protection in the Park, new Animal Rehabilitation Center was established. This center was built in the period of 2002-2003 in the place of earlier built homestead, and owing to the financial support from the National Environmental Found and Water Management. The homestead is situated in the area overgrown by various and all-aged stand with regard to the biotopes, which assure the excellent protect and almost natural living conditions for animals. Inside the homestead many different lodgings were built, such as: two big lodgings for the predatory mammals (wolf, badger), isolation for new received animals, and also four lodgings for various bird species. The Park is going to assure the universal care for animals, such as: food, artificial and natural watering places and veterinary help. After convalescence, once the animals become independent they will be set free. There will stay only the animals which are too much domesticated or invalid and could not survive at liberty. We also would like to appeal to everyone not to take the young, healthy and orphaned animals from their natural environment. Mostly these animals seem orphaned, because very often the parents leave their offspring without the temporary protection, but always they come back. In such cases our intervention may be harmful - the young yield may be abandoned.

• autor: I.Naliwajek