Ukraine: Bear Poaching in the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve

The Biosphere Reserve in the Carpathians (Ukraine) is internationally renowned for its ancient beech forests. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was recently awarded the European Wilderness Quality Standard certificate.

According to a report by the European Wilderness Society five large wilderness areas belong to the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve, two of which have already successfully passed a «wilderness audit». The three other promising areas are the Svydovec, Chornohiora, and Maramorosh wilderness areas.

The areas are very remote and undeveloped, making them the perfect habitat for native predators such as wolves, lynx, and brown bears. It has now come to light that poaching incidents have occurred, which are currently under investigation.

Poaching: a widespread phenomenon in Europe

Even though rangers and public authorities take measures to protect such reserves, poaching is a recurring feature of all remote nature conservation areas. Recently, for example, a Danish hobby hunter shot a wolf in Germany, a poaching case involving a lynx is currently under investigation in southern Germany, and in the case described in this article, a brown bear — the symbol of the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve — was poached.

Mykola Rybak, Director of the Biosphere Reserve, reported via Facebook, that since November 3 there have been signs of poaching in the reserve. Finds of red deer and brown bear meat suggest as much. The biosphere reserve subsequently announced immediate investigations and established an inspection commission consisting of staff from the nature conservation authority and the local police.

Immediate Response from the Biosphere Reserve

The director addressed the poaching directly and openly, regardless of the possibility that local residents might be involved. This swift action by the reserve is an excellent approach and deserves international recognition.