The wintering of wild animals in the Vitebsk region passed peacefully

The wintering of wild animals in the Vitebsk region was calm, as reported to the BELTA correspondent by Vasily Kirpichenok, Deputy Head of the State Control Department for the Protection and Use of Lands, Forests, Fauna and Flora, Specially Protected Territories, and Waste Management of the Vitebsk Regional Committee for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection.

"For the animals, winter was not harsh this year. This is evidenced by the fact that during field raids conducted by territorial bodies of the Ministry of Natural Resources, no instances of insufficient feed at feeding grounds or animal deaths due to lack of feed were found," said Vasily Kirpichenok, noting that the most difficult period for wildlife is now due to heavy snowfall brought by Cyclone "Haver" on March 15-16.

At the same time, forestry workers in the region managed to prepare for the bad weather. In connection with the storm warning, an instruction was sent to all districts of the region to strengthen control over the delivery and placement of feed at the feeding grounds of all hunting grounds. In order to organize work to assist wild animals in distress, district and city executive committees made decisions to create relevant commissions.

More precise data on the results of wild animal wintering and their numbers will be obtained after a control census of the populations of their main species, which is currently underway in the region, Vasily Kirpichenok added.

According to the results of the accounting work in 2012, the Vitebsk region had 8.5 thousand elk individuals (107% of the 2011 level), about 1.4 thousand deer (118.6%), 12.9 thousand roe deer (100.6%), and almost 18 thousand wild boars (101.8%). Counts of the main animals listed in the Red Book showed a 12% increase in the number of bears, and a slight decrease in the number of lynx and badgers.