Zoo activists showed amazing photos of marmots in Odesa

Oleksandr Bronskov/Rewilding Ukraine

Conservationists showed a colony of marmots that had already woken up in the Bujatsky steppes in Odesa.

The animals were photographed by scientist Oleksandr Bronskov, they say in the public organization Rewilding Ukraine.

“During the examination of the groundhog colony, we were lucky enough to see and photograph groundhogs that had already woken up and were standing guard near their burrows. At least 10 animals could be observed at the same time. The groundhogs look healthy and are active. This indicates that they overwintered well in the steppe.”– explain environmentalists.

A colony of marmots began to live in the Bujatsky steppes after they were returned to this area four years ago.

In addition to the main colony in the fenced steppe area, which the marmots built after release, the researchers came across another burrow system outside the enclosure.

This means that the animals are already starting to settle in the wild steppe. This was the goal of the species reintroduction program in the Danube Delta region.

“We will be watching the new colony to see how many animals are in it and how it develops.

Also this year, if possible, the next release of marmots is planned to increase the size and genetic diversity of the population of these charismatic rodents in the Bujatsky Steppe.”– they say in Rewilding Ukraine.

We will remind you that the creation of the national nature park “Budjatskyi Steppes” is part of the program to restore the unique biodiversity of the Tarutyn Steppe, the second largest steppe massif in Europe with an area of ​​8,000 hectares.

A group of eight steppe marmots was relocated to the Tarutyn Steppe in 2020. Three males and five females are constantly monitored by scientists.

“Groundhogs are an important link in food webs, and their burrows, which can be up to 20 meters long and three meters deep, have a positive effect on soil and groundwater conditions. The animals also help disperse seeds and create areas where a variety of species can grow plants

In the future, the Rewilding Ukraine team plans to release more steppe marmots here in order to create a stable population of the species in this area.”– say environmentalists.

We will remind you that in the “12 months” zoo in the Kyiv region, the marmot Vikenty woke up earlier than usual. Back in January, he came out of his house and started walking around the enclosure.