European bison are expected to settle in Lviv region within the Stilske Horbohiria Regional Landscape Park, located in the Opillia area of Stryi district.
The Department of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Lviv Regional State Administration has started preparatory work to establish a new Stilske subpopulation of the European bison — Bison bonasus L. The initiative is aimed at creating proper conditions for the conservation and restoration of this rare species in a protected natural area.
Specialists Inspected the Site for a Future Enclosure
A promising forest area, where a special enclosure for bison is planned to be built soon, was examined by representatives of scientific institutions, forestry management, and public authorities.
The inspection involved:
- researchers from the I. I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in Kyiv;
- specialists from the Ukrainian National Forestry University in Lviv;
- the management of the Lviv Forestry Office of the Carpathian Forest Office branch of the State Enterprise Forests of Ukraine;
- representatives of the Department of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Lviv Regional State Administration.
The Area Is Part of Ukraine’s Nature Reserve Fund
The land plot being considered for the bison settlement is part of the Stilske Horbohiria Regional Landscape Park and belongs to Ukraine’s nature reserve fund.
At the same time, this territory is classified as state-owned forest land. It is under the permanent use of the Lviv Forestry Office of the Carpathian Forest Office branch of the State Enterprise Forests of Ukraine.
The creation of a new bison subpopulation in Stryi district may become an important step toward strengthening biodiversity protection in Lviv region and developing conservation projects within the Opillia area.