PROTECTINGTHEPACK
"Wolves",newsletterofthe WolfSocietyofGreatBritain,No.1,2003,pages8/9.
Walkingthroughthemoonlitterritoryofapackofsteppewolves,Ifoundmyselfunexpectedlycalm.Ifollowedthe tunneloflightfrommyheadtorch,thedeepcarpetofpineneedlessofteningmyfootsteps,eagerlylookingaheadfor aglimpseofawildboar,deer,orevenoneofthoseelusivecaninesthemselves.Alarge,darkshadowslipped silentlythroughthetreesbesideme.MyheartskippedandmyhandclosedfirmlyaroundtheflareinmypocketasI quicklyturnedthebeamonthespot.Notquitesofearlessafterallthen!Thebrieflylostsmilereturnedtomyfaceas theorangeeyesofalongearedowlglaredfromabranchbeforereturningtotheirquestforvoles.
FellowresearchvolunteerAnna,anInternetTechnicianfromHelsinki,andIhadbeen coveringthenightshiftinthe wolfwatchtower.Allhadbeenstill,notawolfinsightbut,althoughalittlefrustratedthatthewolveshadoutwittedus yetagain,itdidn'tmatter;wedidn'tneedtoactuallyseethewolvestobeableto learnaboutandhelpconserve them.Finallywewereoutoftheforest,brushingthroughthedryscratchyscrubof theSteppe,wavesofheatstill risingfromthesandwhichhoursearlierhadbeenbakingunderthesearingUkrainian summersun.Roundingthetop ofadune,theinvitingglowofacampfireappearedandwesawourtentsnestledcomfortablyinanaldergrove belowus.
TheKinburnskaKosaLandscapeParksitsonaslimpeninsulainthenorthoftheBlackSea.TheParkhasmilesof pristinebeachesandisbecomingincreasinglypopularwithtouristswhoprovideavitalincomeforthe300orso permanentresidentswholivemainlybyfarming.Butthoseendlesswhitesandsaren't theonlyattraction.Theareais ahavenforwildlifeandhometomanyendangeredspecieslistedintheUkraineRedDatabook.Atpresent,the beautyandvalueoftheparkarerecognisedbutonlyafewsmallareasactuallyhave legalprotection.Zinovi Petrovych,theparkdirector,andVladimirTitar,alocalscientist,arestrivingto havethepark'sstatusraisedto NationalParklevelwhichwouldgiveittheprotectionitneeds,buttodothisthey needevidenceoftheimportanceto wildlife.Theresearchtoproducethisevidencerequiresmoneyandmanpower,neither ofwhichiseasilycome-byin theformersovietstate.EnterBiosphereExpeditionsandtheirbandofbuddingbiologists.FoundedandledbyDr Matthias"Indie"Hammer,Biosphereseekoutconservationprojectsinneedofahelpinghandanddiveinproviding theresourcesfortheresearchandanopportunityfor"ordinaryfolk"toworkonrealconservationexpeditions.The datahastobecollectedpreciselysinceitwilllaterbeanalysedandwrittenupintopapersbeforehelpingtodecide thefutureoftheparksinhabitants,inparticularthewolves;butluckilyBiosphere canmakeascientistoutofanyone, evenajournalist.
SteppeWolves
ThejourneydowntoPokrovka,oneofafewsmallvillagesonthepeninsulaandthesiteofourbasecamp,turned outtobequiteanepic.AfterflyingintoKievBorispolairport,Itookan"entertaining"taxiridetothetowncentreapparentlytherearenospeedlimits,itisnormalforwindscreenstobeheldtogetherwithblacktapeandthereisno
needforworkingspeedometersorseatbelts.Themoralofthestory:justbecausethedriverlooksrespectable, doesn'tmeanhiscabwill!IwasveryrelievedtomeetmyfriendsKatherineandHelenforafewhoursmarvellingat Kiev'sgolddomesandbronzestatues.Thewidetreelinedstreetswereimpressively cleanandwecouldn'tresist stoppingatoneofthelittlecafesforpancakeswithbananaandcream,beforemakingourwaydowntothebustling cobbledstreetsofPodilwherecraftspeopleselltheirwares.HelenboughtaRussian dollwhichwaslater confiscatedontheflighthomelestsheshouldtrytouseitasaweapon!
WefoundtherestoftheBiosphereteamoutsideKiev'smainrailwaystation,andtogetherweboardedatrainbound forMikolaiv.Wepackedintoourtinysleepingcompartmentandsettledwithafewbottlesofbeerandapackof cardsforthe15-hourjourney.Everystationbroughtnewinterest.Eveninthemiddleofthenight,traderslinedthe platformssellingeverythingfromfruit,vegandtheinevitablecoca-cola,tolivecrayfishandsmokedfishofevery kind.Weboughtastringof"BeerFish"andatethemtraditionalstyleinourfingers,chasingdownbitesofthelittle gobieswithswigsof"peevo,"-theUkrainianwordforbeer.Aloudraponthedoorfromoneoftheratherlargeand intimidatingcarriageattendantladieswokeusat5am.Runningonauto,wedraggedourbackpacksoutontothe platform.AsmilingMatthiasandaredandwhitezebrastripedLandRoverawaitedus forthe4-hourdrivetocamp.
Atfirsttheroadsweregoodandwide.Acoupleofhoursawayfromanymajortownshoweverandtheroads,whilst stillwide,aresooldandpittedthatthecarsdrivealongthesandvergewheretravelismorecomfortable.We carriedonsouthandIcouldn'thelpbutnoticethat,onourGPSroute-finder,theroadsappearedtoendwellbefore thedotindicatingourdestination.Soontheydidindeedendandwehappilybounced alongthesandtrack,whichis themainroadtoPokrovkaandpassableonlybyLandRoversand,evidentlybythevehiclesparkedinthevillage, Ladas.Mosttouristsarrivepackedlikesardinesonthesmallpassengerboatswhich chugacrosstheYargolitskiBay fromOchakev.Anyonecancamponthepeninsulaforasmallfeecollectedbythepark wardens;itisworth rememberingthoughthatfreshwaterisnoteasilyfoundsincetheinlandlakesareallatleastbrackish.WhenIasked oneoftheveryrareEnglishspeakinglocalswheretherewasafreshwatersourcehe shruggedandsaid"justfollow yourdog."
Herewasplacewheretheoldwayshadn'tdied.Eachhousekeptitsowncowandafew sheep,itbeingthejobof theoldestboytomilkthecoweverymorningandtakeitouttomeetthelocalherderwhotookthemouttograzefor theday.Eachcowevidentlyknowsitswayhomeforintheevening,astheherderled thewaybackintothevillage, theywouldpeelawayfromthegroupontheirownaccordandplodbackintotheiryard.Thehaywascutbyscythe andpitchforkedintostacks.Insuchacutofplace,Ireallygotafeelingthatit wouldbeagoodfewyearsyetbefore westernwaysfilteredthrough.
WewerewelcomedwithaheartyUkrainianfeastoffish,aubergine,buckwheatandhomegrowntomatoesand
manytoastswiththelocalandratherlethal,vodka.Overthecourseoftheevening, welearntthattheonlythinga Ukrainianfindsmorebafflingthanavegetarianisanon-drinker.
Despiteitsstereotypeofbeingafrozenland,ourdaysinUkrainewerehot,really hot,anddry.Myfirstweekwas spentringingmigratingbirdswhowereenroutetoAfricaandIndiaforthewinter. Thebirdswerecaughtinnetsand givenindividualidentitynumbersonlightweightmetalrings.Measurementsanddetailsabouttheageandconditionof thebirdsweretakensothatthescientistscoulddeducefactsaboutthepopulation asawhole.Whereveraringed birdmightbecaughtinthefuture,whetherAfricaortheU.KorbackintheKinburnskaKosa,thedetailsofthat animalcanbelearntfromtheinternationaldatabase.Thisinformationisvitalifconservationistsaretobeableto workoutwhichbirdspeciesareindangerandwhatcouldbecausingtheproblem.
Holdingadelicatelivebirdisaspecialexperience,eventhemostdrablittlebrownjoblooksbeautifulinthehand wheretheintricaciesofitsfeatherscanbeseen.Butthebestpartwasalwaysreleasingthem,knowingthatnoharm hadbeendoneandforthatfewminutesofdiscomfort,thattinycreaturemayhavehelpedthefuturesurvivalofit's species.Theonlybirdswedidgrowtiredofweretheshrikes.Withtheirhookedbillreadytodigdownthesideofa nailandlittletalonstosinkintofingertips,theseguysarereallyjustminiraptors.Oneofthemevenlearntthatthe tinyflycatcherswereslightlydisorientatedforamomentafterwereleasedthemand wouldsitinwaitforthe possibilityofaneasymeal.Luckilywespottedhimandhewasneverquitesneakyenough.Amongstthemultitudeof warblers,flycatchersandshrikeswereafewcolourfulcharacterssuchasgoldenoriole,kingfisherandhoopoe,and thentherewasthewryneck.PeeringintothefoldsofthenetonedayIwasfacedwithalongwrithingneckanda hissingcomingforasmallgreybird.AsIreachedtowardsit,thebirdlungedlike astrikingsnake.Afterdisentangling thewryneckItookacloserlookatitsbeautifullypatternedplumageofgrey,buff andrichtan.Itsatquietlyinmy handmakingnoattempttobitebutstillrhythmicallyswayingitsheadinsuchacomicfashionthat,thoughwecaught manyofthesebirdslateron,theyneverceasedtoamuse.
Mypartatbirdcampdone,thenextdestinationwaswolfcampoutinthemiddleofthepeninsula.Ourdayshere werespentcheerfullywhistlingtheIndianaJonesandLittlestHobothemetunes,whilstwalkingtransectsacrossthe peninsulaplottingthepositionofanywolftrackswefoundandmeasuringthem.Luckilythewolvesliketousepaths wherethegroundisclearfirmmakingtraveleasiersotheirtracksareeasytofind.Unluckilyforusthismeant keepingoffthetrackssoasnottolitterthemwithourownfootprints,andwetroggedthroughthedeeploosesand onthepathedges.Totakeourmindsoffthehardwalkingandfiercesunwasamind bogglingarrayofreptile,insect andplantlife.Thepreyingmantiswerefirmfavouritesandwecollectedacouplearoundcampasflycontrolatthe dinnertable,anarrangementwhichbenefitedbothmantisandhumanspecies.Aswewalked,wealsoplottedpoints wherewefoundsteppeviperswhichareanotherendangeredspecies,andestimatedtheirsizeusingthegoodold fisherman'stalemethod.Usingthisinformationthescientistshaveworkedoutthat therearearound10wolvesinthe area,thatthereisanormalratioof1:1malestofemalesandthataround30-40%of themarejuveniles.Prettygood fromafewtracksleftinthesand!
Wherevertherearelargecarnivores,thereareconflictinginterestsbetweenlocalfarmersandconservationists. Ukraineisnodifferent.Wolvescanofcoursetakelivestock,butyearsofpersecutionmeansthattheyareextremely elusiveandwillonlycomenearhumansettlementswhenforcedto,suchasintimesofdroughtwhentheirnormal preyofwildboaranddeerarescarce.Wolvesarenowextinctinalmostalloftheir formerrange.
BeforeBiospherearrived,thelocalpeoplebelievedtheretobehundredsofdangerouswolvesandwerecallingfora cull.Nowhowever,thewolvesarebringingtouristsandmoneyintotheareasopeoplearebeginningtoseeabenefit inkeepingthewolvesalive.Ecotoursimhasarealbenefitforbothpeopleandwildlife,andtourismwhichisalso researchcanonlybeanotherexcellentstepforward.
(c)JennyHolden
NotestoEditors:
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