GlobalAdventure magazine,Jan/Feb2003.
PROTECTINGTHEPACK
JennyHoldentravelstotheUkrainetomonitorthreatenedwolfpopulationsonaBiosphereconservationbreak
Walkingthroughthemoonlitterritoryofapackofsteppewolves,Ifoundmyselfunexpectedlycalm.Ifollowedthe tunneloflightfrommyheadtorch,thedeepcarpetofpineneedlessofteningmyfootsteps,eagerlylookingaheadfor aglimpseofawildboar,deer,orevenoneofthoseelusivecaninesthemselves.Alarge,darkshadowslipped silentlythroughthetreesbesideme.MyheartskippedandmyhandclosedfirmlyaroundtheflareinmypocketasI quicklyturnedthebeamonthespot.Notquitesofearlessafterallthen!Thebrieflylostsmilereturnedtomyfaceas theorangeeyesofalongearedowlglaredfromabranchbeforereturningtotheirquestforvoles.
IwasinthedepthsoftheKinburnskaKosaLandscapeParkinUkraineaspartofaBiosphereExpeditionsteam monitoringthecountry’sSteppeWolfpopulation.FellowresearchvolunteerAnna,an InternetTechnicianfrom Helsinki,andIhadbeencoveringthenightshiftinthewolfwatchtower.Allhadbeenstill,notawolfinsightbut, althoughalittlefrustratedthatthewolveshadoutwittedusyetagain,itdidn’tmatter;wedidn’tneedtoactuallysee thewolvestobeabletolearnaboutandhelpconservethem.Byobservingfootprints andothersigns,wecould gathervaluableinformationaboutthelocalwolfpopulation.
Finallywewereoutoftheforest,brushingthroughthedryscratchyscruboftheSteppe,wavesofheatstillrising fromthesandwhichhoursearlierhadbeenbakingunderthesearingUkrainiansummer sun.Roundingthetopofa dune,theinvitingglowofacampfireappearedandwesawourtentsnestledcomfortablyinanaldergrovebelowus.
TheKinburnskaKosaLandscapeParksitsonaslimpeninsulainthenorthoftheBlackSea.TheParkhasmilesof pristinebeachesandisbecomingincreasinglypopularwithtouristswhoprovideavitalincomeforthe300orso permanentresidentsofthepark,whootherwiseliveafairlybasicsubsistencelifestyle.Buttheendlesswhitesands aren’ttheonlyattraction.TheareaisahavenforwildlifeandhometomanyendangeredspecieslistedintheUkraine RedDatabook–acomprehensivescientificlogofthecountry’swildlife.
Atpresent,thebeautyandvalueoftheparkarerecognisedbutonlyafewsmallareasactuallyhavelegal protection.ZinoviPetrovych,theparkdirector,andVladimirTytar,alocalscientist,arestrivingtohavethepark’s statusraisedtoNationalParklevelwhichwouldgiveittheprotectionitneeds,buttodothistheyneedevidenceof theimportancetowildlife.Theresearchtoproducethisevidencerequiresmoneyand manpower,neitherofwhichis easilycome-byintheformersovietstate.AndhereiswhereBiosphereExpeditionsandtheirbandofbudding biologistscomein.FoundedandledbyDrMatthias“Indie”Hammer,Biosphereseekoutconservationprojectsin needofahelpinghandanddiveinprovidingtheresourcesfortheresearchandanopportunityforordinaryfolkto workonrealconservationexpeditions.Thedatahastobecollectedpreciselysince itwilllaterbeanalysedand writtenupintopapersbeforehelpingtodecidethefutureoftheparksinhabitants, inparticularthewolves;butluckily Biospherecanmakeascientistoutofanyone,evenajournalist.
Roads…whatroads?
ThejourneydowntoPokrovka,oneofafewsmallvillagesonthepeninsulaandthesiteofourbasecamp,turned outtobequiteanepicone.AfterflyingintoKievBorispolairport,Itookanentertainingtaxiridetothetowncentre.It soonbecameapparentthatspeedlimitswerenotintendedfortaxidrivers.Theclapped-outcab,whichhada windscreenheldtogetherbyblacktape,nospeedometerandnoseatbelts,gotmetomydestinationinwhatmust havebeensomekindofnationalrecord…atleastthedrivercouldn’tbeaccusedofrunningupthefair!
Withlegsstillshaking,ImetmyfriendsKatherineandHelenforafewhoursmarvellingatKiev’sgolddomesand bronzestatues.Thewidetreelinedstreetswereimpressivelycleanandwecouldn’t resiststoppingatoneofthe littlecafesforpancakeswithbananaandcream,beforemakingourwaydowntothebustlingcobbledstreetsof Podilwherecraftspeopleselltheirwares.HelenboughtaRussiandollwhichwaslaterconfiscatedontheflighthome lestsheshouldtrytouseitasaweapon,butthat’sanotherstory….
WefoundtherestoftheBiosphereteamoutsideKiev’smainrailwaystation,andtogetherweboardedatrainbound forMikolaiv.Wepackedintoourtinysleepingcompartmentandsettledwithafewbottlesofbeerandapackof cardsforthe15-hourjourney. Everystationbroughtnewinterest.Eveninthemiddleofthenight,traderslinedthe platformssellingeverythingfromfruit,vegetablesandtheinevitablecoca-cola,to livecrayfishandsmokedfishof everykind.Weboughtastringof“BeerFish”andatethemtraditionalstyleinour fingers,chasingdownbitesofthe littlegobieswithswigsof“peevo,”-asbeerinknowninUkraine.
Wakeupcall
Aloudraponthedoorfromoneoftheratherlargeandintimidatingcarriageattendantladieswokeusat5am. Runningonauto,wedraggedourbackpacksoutontotheplatform.AsmilingMatthias andaredandwhitezebra stripedLandRoverawaitedusforthe4-hourdrivetocamp.
Atfirsttheroadsweregoodandwide.Acoupleofhoursawayfromanymajortownshoweverandtheroads,whilst stillwide,aresooldandpittedthatthecarsdrivealongthesandvergewheretravelismorecomfortable.We carriedonsouthandIcouldn’thelpbutnoticethat,onourGPSroute-finder,theroadsappearedtoendwellbefore thedotindicatingourdestination.Soontheroadsdidindeedendandwehappilybouncedalongthesandtrack, whichisthemainroadtoPokrovkaandpassableonlybyLandRovers.
Wewerenoinanalmostuntouchedlandofsandhillsandsaltlakeswherethecattle dictatedourspeedandexotic lookingbirdssuchasgoldenoriolesandbeeeatersflittedby.Tominimisetheimpactwehadonthelandscapeand itsinhabitants,westuckcloselytoLandRover’sFragileEarthpolicy:“asslowas possible,asfastasnecessary”. Thismethodhelpstoreducetheriskofstartlingwildlifeorcausingexcesserosion.
Mosttourists(almostallofthemUkrainiansorRussians)arrived,packedlikesardines,onthesmallpassengerboats whichchugacrosstheYargolitskiBayfromOchakev.Anyonecancamponthepeninsula forasmallfeecollectedby theparkwardens;itisworthrememberingthoughthatfreshwaterisnoteasilyfoundsincetheinlandlakesareallat leastbrackish.WhenIaskedoneoftheveryrareEnglishspeakinglocalswheretherewasafreshwatersourcehe shruggedandsaid"justfollowyourdog."Iamstillnotsureexactlywhathemeant…
Herewasplacewheretheoldwaysstilllivedon.Eachhousekeptitsowncowanda fewsheep,itbeingthejobof theoldestboytomilkthecoweverymorningandtakeitouttomeetthelocalherderwhotookthemouttograzefor theday.Eachcowevidentlyknowsitswayhomeforintheevening,astheherderled thewaybackintothevillage,
theywouldpeelawayfromthegroupontheirownaccordandplodbackintotheiryard.Thehaywascutbyscythe andpitchforkedintostacks.Insuchacutofplace,Ireallygotafeelingthatit wouldbeagoodfewyearsyetbefore westernwaysfilteredthrough.
WewerewelcomedwithaheartyUkrainianfeastoffish,aubergine,buckwheatandhomegrowntomatoesand manytoastswiththelocalandratherlethal,vodka.Overthecourseoftheevening, welearntthattheonlythinga Ukrainianfindsmorebafflingthanavegetarianisanon-drinker.
Letworkcommence…
Despiteitsstereotypeofbeingafrozenland,ourdaysinUkrainewerehot,really hot,anddry.Myfirstweekwas spentringingmigratingbirdswhowereenroutetoAfricaandIndiaforthewinter. Thebirdswerecaughtinnetsand givenindividualidentitynumbersonlightweightmetalrings.Measurementsanddetailsabouttheageandconditionof thebirdsweretakensothatthescientistscoulddeducefactsaboutthepopulation asawhole.Whereveraringed birdmightbecaughtinthefuture,whetherAfricaortheUKorbackintheKinburnskaKosa,thedetailsofthatanimal canbelearntfromtheinternationaldatabase.Thisinformationisvitalifconservationistsaretobeabletoworkout whichbirdspeciesareindangerandwhatcouldbedonetosavethem.
Thebestpartofringingthebirdswasalwayssettingthemfreeunharmed–particularlywhenitwasashrikewho haddonehisutmosttoripyourfingerstoshredsduringhisfewminutesofcaptivity,itwasalwaysarelieftoseethe backofthem!Mostofthebirds,however,broughtalotofjoy,particularlythosewithasplashofcoloursuchasthe butterfly-likehoopoeorkingfisher.
OurpartatBirdCampdone,thenextdestinationwasWolfCampoutinthemiddleof thepeninsula.Ourdayshere werespentcheerfullywhistlingtheIndianaJonesandLittlestHobothemetunes,whilstwalkingtransectsacrossthe peninsulaplottingthepositionofanywolftrackswefoundandmeasuringthem.The wolvesliketousepathswhere thegroundisclearfirmmakingtraveleasiersotheirtracksaresimpletofind.Unfortunatelyforusthismeant keepingoffthetrackssoasnottolitterthemwithourownfootprints,andwetrudgedthroughthedeeploosesand onthepathedges,whichwasprettytoughgoing.Totakeourmindsoffthehardwalkingandfiercesunwasamind bogglingarrayofreptile,insectandplantlife.Thepreyingmantiswerefirmfavouritesandwecollectedacouple aroundcampasflycontrolatthedinnertable,anarrangementwhichbenefitedboth mantisandhumanspecies.As wewalked,wealsoplottedpointswherewefoundsteppevipers-anotherendangered species-andestimated theirsize.
UnusuallyforBritsabroad,eachdayweprayedforrainsincethedrysanddidn’tmakeagoodcanvasforwolfprints andthedroughtwasdrivingtheirprey,wildboaranddeer,furtherawayfromthearea.Butnonecameandwolf sightingswerefewandfarbetween.Infact,myonlyencounterwithalargeanimalwasarun-inwithadisturbingly largeboarwhilsthavingaquietmomentbehindabush.Thankfully,itwastotallyindifferenttomypresenceand trottedoffintotheforest,whereHelenandIlatertrackeditandspentthenextcoupleofnightstryingtocoaxitinto viewagainwithpiecesofwatermelon.Whilstboardsevidentlydidlikewatermelon,itappearedtheypreferredtoeat itduringthemiddleofthenight–preferablyfromarubbishbagjustafewyardsfromatent!
Usingtheinformationwecollectedontheexpedition,thescientistsbackatbase havesincedeterminedthatthere arearound10wolvesinthearea,thatthereisanormalratioofonemaletoonefemaleandthataround30-40%of themarejuveniles.Prettygoodfromafewtracksleftinthesand!
Wherevertherearelargecarnivores,thereareconflictinginterestsbetweenlocalfarmersandconservationists,and theUkraineisnodifferent.Wolvescanofcoursetakelivestock,butyearsofpersecutionmeansthattheyare extremelyelusiveandwillonlycomenearhumansettlementswhenforcedto,suchas intimesofdroughtwhentheir normalpreyofwildboaranddeerarescarce.Wolvesarenowextinctinalmostalloftheirformerranges.
BeforeBiospherearrived,thelocalpeoplebelievedtheretobehundredsofdangerouswolvesandwerecallingfora cull.Nowhowever,thewolvesarebringingtouristsandmoneyintotheareasopeoplearebeginningtoseeabenefit inkeepingthewolvesalive.Ecotourismhasarealbenefitforbothpeopleandwildlife,andtourismwhichisalso researchcanonlybeanotherexcellentstepintherightdirection.
Onmylastnightinthewolfwatchtower,Isathuddledintomysleepingbagtryingtostaywarm.Thewolftracksthat werefoundaroundthebaseofthetoweronthepreviousnightwereenoughincentive foranall-nightstake-out.And threehoursin,Isuddenlyheardmovement.Excitedbytheprospectofcatchingmyfirstglimpseofthemagnificent shaggygreybeasts,Ireachedcarefullyformynightsights.Atthesametimealarge shapetookflightfromtheedge ofthetowerandlandedinanadjacenttree.OncloserinspectionIsaw–surprise, surprise–thetwolargeorange eyesofalong-earedowlglaringbackatmereproachfullyfromthedarkness.Disappointmentthistime,butthenight wasstillyoung...
NotestoEditors:
"GlobalAdventure"Jan/Feb2003
file:///E:/Biosphere/Website/Old%20site/media/GlobalAdv2003.htm
Backgroundinformationontheorganisationanditsexpeditionitineraryareavailableat http://www.biosphereexpeditions.org.Thepressreleaseareacontainingthisreleasewithaccompanyingphotographsisat http://www.biosphere-expeditions.org/media/ BiosphereExpeditions,Sprat'sWater,nearCarltonColville,TheBroadsNationalPark,SuffolkNR338BP,UK. info@biosphere-expeditions.org,Tel.:+44-1502-583085,Fax:+44-1502-587414 inGermany/Deutschland: deutschland@biosphere-expeditions.org, Tel.:+49-7127-980242,Fax:+49-7127-8878776