Radio România Internațional

Tag: wildlife

  • Carpathian Mountains’ flora and fauna

    Carpathian Mountains’ flora and fauna

    There
    is a growing number of tourists who are set to discover the Carpathian
    Mountains’ wildlife, thanks to several special tours they’re willing to take in
    the mountains. Going on such tours enables them to understand hidden details,
    to watch the wild animals in their own habitat, while in the summer, tourists
    can enjoy the beauty of the Carpathian Mountains’ flora. Tours can be personalized
    and completed with visit in the rural regions, to the traditional craftsmen or
    to several tourist assets of a particular area.


    Cosmin Zgremția is a forestry engineer by profession. Since
    2014, he has also been a specialized flora and fauna guide. Ever since he was a
    child, Cosmin imagined the forest resembled an outdoor museum. Later on, he
    found out Romania had a surface area of 6.5 million hectares of forest, an
    immense surface area, that is, which he himself, as a forestry engineer, could
    have never imagined as a whole. Therefore, given the country’s so great
    forested area, Romania has become increasingly known, internationally, as a destination
    of exploration of the natural wildlife.


    Cosmin Zgremția:


    I have been doing sylvan tourism, which
    is part of ecotourism, and I do believe in the value of conservation through
    eco-education. Actually, I ended up being a tourism guide out of love for
    nature and thanks to my profession. I was quick to discover that those auxiliary
    services which according to us are attached to silviculture were poorly put to good
    use by my fellow forestry workers. In 2011, when I was a hunting fund manager as
    part of Brasov Municipal City’s Hunting Fund, I came up with the idea of opening
    to the lay public the hunting observatories for bear observation tours. That’s
    how my tourism career started. Gradually, I have grown fond of that, more and
    more. I noticed I had a penchant for explaining all those intimate details of bears’
    lives, and of the forest in general. So I decided, having resigned from the
    position I had with the Forestry Directorate, to dedicate my entire life and
    activity to that particular field of ecotourism.


    All
    visits Cosmin has been organizing are thematic visits.


    One such tour enables visitors to observe the wildlife fauna. What we do,
    actually, is follow the animals’ traces. We stand a 90% observation chance for
    the common species and 10% for the protected species: bear, wolf, wild cat.
    Another tour gets us explore the rural environment, it is part of a thematic
    visit blending details about trees, plant species into details pertaining to
    the Romanian cultural identity. Another tour takes you on a visit to a chalet.
    Such a visit is made in the company of a specialized guide, a nature scientist, and
    includes several stopovers. The most popular visit is the thematic walk through
    the forest. It is like a safari where you have
    stopovers every ten meters. Plant species are observed, certain bird species,
    even insects. I have been trying to speak about each separate species. I want
    to involve everybody. Therefore, the experience is like an outdoor documentary,
    where participants really get involved. It is a giant leap we take, from watching
    a documentary on the telly to actually being part of it. The most spectacular option
    could be a tour in the Fagaras Mountains. Its difficulty is a little bit
    greater, but you can have the chance to watch the bears but also the chamois,
    in the wildlife. Practically, each time we go out in the wilderness I use the environment
    to offer tourists the required info and instil the love of nature in them, at
    once pursuing my aim, eventually, that of eco-education.


    Some of the tourist who opt for such wildlife observation
    tours also have the required photo technique. They are keen on having snapshots
    of bears, woodpeckers and even wolves in their natural environment. With details
    on that, here is our guide today, Cosmin Zgremtia, once again.


    Each species can be taken pictures
    of. There are optimum periods, for taking pictures or for observation. For example,
    you stand very little chances to photograph a bear in the wilderness, in winter.
    Therefore, the bears’ photographing season usually begins on April the 10th
    and ends on September 15, when the bears retire for their winter slumbers. Actually,
    latterly, towards winter, bears are less active during the day and more active during
    the night, before they retire. If they want to live a wild experience, my guests
    need to have the minimum required equipment for hiking. Which means boots with
    a grippy sole, proper trousers, three layers of clothing, for the abdomen and
    the chest and something to cover their head with. As for my challenge as a
    guide, I want to have in-shape tourists.


    First of all, tourists are always impressed with the
    information they get. Cosmin Zgremtia once again:

    Secondly, they are impressed by the interaction
    with the wildlife, with the forest as such, what also impressed them is the way
    they felt they connected to nature. And, thirdly, they are impressed by the way
    I treated them and how they felt among the locals. In the tours I offer, I try
    to integrate my guests in the naturel environment but also in out authentic Romanian
    community. In effect, I am trying to offer Romania an identity
    as regards its natural resources, but also culture-wise. Most of the tourists
    come from Great Britain, they are followed by French and Italian tourists, but
    we also had guests from Australia, even from New Zealand and even from North America,
    the United States.


    Cosmin told us most of the tourists he accompanied were
    foreign and that he would like the Romanian tourists to take an interest in such
    tours. However, such an interest may stem from a certain kind of education in
    the field of tourism.


    Practically, most of my tourists are
    foreign citizens because they already have that particular upbringing, that
    kind of education. They can identify the key words in the description
    of the tourist programs and are quick to accept a trip into the wild. Moreover, the foreign tourists’ faith in a tourist
    guide is stronger.


    If you contact the national tourism information and promotion
    centres across Romania, especially those located close by the nature or
    national parks, you’re sure to get data about a tourist guide who can accompany
    you in the exploration of nature, so that you can have a truly special
    experience. (EN)

  • Protected wildlife – in the spotlight

    Protected wildlife – in the spotlight


    With 6,300 individuals, Romania has the biggest bear population in Europe, according to the World Wide Fund. The NGO cautions, however, that increasing pressure on forests, which are bears main habitat, poses a threat to this species, with the biggest danger being the fragmentation of habitats following the development of transport infrastructure, the creation of ski tracks and the expansion of built areas.



    News reports about car accidents involving bears are increasingly frequent in Romania. Last Saturday, for example, a bear was hit by a car in Harghita county, in the centre, and suffered for a few hours before being put to sleep. A similar case was reported on Monday in Mures county, also in the centre. To improve intervention in such cases, the environment ministry has come up with a series of measures following a meeting with officials from the interior ministry and the National Sanitary Veterinary Authority.



    The environment minister Costel Alexe says the legislation in force would have allowed the local authorities to sedate the bear and treat it. Costel Alexe:



    “Im very much concerned about citizens safety, but I also want these animals to enjoy good living conditions in forests and not be forced to come to the side of the road or enter peoples gardens in search of food. I understand that food stopped being supplied to them in forests in 2016. I promise you that this week I will have talks on this matter with all those involved and will come back with a statement.”



    At the same time, Cristian Papp, who coordinates the protected species and areas programme for World Wide Fund Romania, has explained that providing food for bears in forests should only be a temporary measure, because if used for longer periods it would turn bears into semi-domestic animals. The NGO he works for advocates the creation of environmental corridors. Cristian Papp explains:



    “We have drafted this year sustainable transport guidelines that can be used by the authorities, especially the transport and environment ministries, to find the best solutions so that we can develop the much desired infrastructure while maintaining intact the habitats of big carnivores.”



    Cristian Papp says the guidelines in question contain some clear measures to avoid the increasingly frequent cases of bears entering motorways. They help the authorities identify exactly those critical areas where tunnels need to be built for the bears to be able to cross the motorways.




  • The Macin Mountains National Park

    The Macin Mountains National Park

    The Macin Mountains National Park in Tulcea county is a protected area in Dobrogea, eastern Romania. The park was declared a Biosphere Reserve in 1998 and is the only region in the European Union where ecosystems that are normally found in steppes coexist here with those specific to the sub-Mediterranean regions. The Macin Mountains are part of the Natura 2000 Network being the only national park in Europe aimed at the protection and promotion of biodiversity in the steppic bioregion.



    The Macin Mountains are the driest and oldest mountains in Romania and home to almost 70% of all types of known rocks, plants growing in the dry land, birds usually found in other Danube countries and many rare species. The area is also a major migration route for the birds following the Prut and Siret rivers. Its also where you can spot the largest number of predatory bird species in Europe, namely 29.



    For its ornithological wealth, the Macin Mountains have been added to the list of Europes Most Important Bird Areas. Viorel Rosca, director with the Macin Mountains National Park tells us more about this region:



    Viorel Rosca: “There are 181 different bird species here because the region is a real paradise for birds thanks to the alternation between valleys and sharp crests which allows the formation of rising air currents. The birds use these currents to glide and to look for food. The area is home to many rare, endangered species that can only be seen in books in other parts of Europe. We have many species of eagles, such as the spotted eagle (Aquila Clanga) and the lesser spotted eagle (Aquila Pomarina), the short-toed snake eagle (Circaetus Gallicus), the Saker Falcon (Falco Cherrug) and other endangered species. The most common animal species here is the Greek tortoise (Testudo Graeca). We have monitored this species and found out there are 4,000 of these animals around our park. Tourists visiting the park on horseback can often see these animals gathered around the pools formed in the granite rock. Also living here is the so called ‘Dobrogean dragon (Elaphe sauromates), which is a non-venomous snake that can grow up to three meters in length, and which needs peace and quiet in order to develop properly. The national park is also home to a rare species of lizard, the European copper skink (Ablepharus Kitaibelli) and to the European green lizard (Lacerta Viridis), which is quite beautiful.



    There are many ecosystems in this area, including forests, bushes and pastures, rivers, moors, rocks and pebbles and several archaeological sites. Macin Mountains is the only place in the country where the red deer can still be found. Fortunately, in the past years, the population has grown to 160. Deer and wild boars can also be found in the area, just like jackals, the main animal predator in the park. As regards plants, the second crest of the mountains, Culmea Pricopanului, is home to 27 species that are unique in Dobrogea, and 72 protected species, as they are rare or vulnerable. There are plants that grow right from the stone, as the magmatic rocks there are rich in nutrients. Next, director Viorel Rosca gives us details about the richness of this park:



    “There are some 1,900 species of plants, accounting for more than half of Romanias flora. In spring, there are two species of snowdrops that can only be found here: Galanthus Picatus and Galantus Elwessi. We also have the cloth-of-gold crocus (Crocus Reticulates), rare irises like the bearded iris (Iris Reichenbachii) and the pigmy iris (Iris Pumila), the basket-of-gold wildflower (Alyssum Saxatile). Another endemic species in the park is Campanula Romanica, which grows on rocky ground and has a special adaptation system, as the Macin Mountains are the driest and rockiest in the country. We also have the frog cup (Flitillaria Meleagris) and other extremely rare species of wild flowers, which cannot be found anywhere else in the country. Extremely beautiful are the peonies and we have two species: the Dobrudjia peony and the steppe peony. There are also species of trees growing here, such as the Crimean beech, a species of beech that grows at altitudes of over 700 meters. We have an area of 155 hectares of forest of this species of beech, which can grow up to 40 meters in length and 2 meters in diameter.



    For several years now, the village of Greci has hosted the Information Centre of the Macin Mountains National Park, which hosts permanent exhibitions reflecting the areas biodiversity, but also temporary exhibitions promoting the traditions of the minorities living in that part of the country.


    (Translated by D. Bilt & M. Ignatescu)

  • Orphan Bear Rehabilitation Center

    Orphan Bear Rehabilitation Center

    Although the bear is protected at national and European level, poaching and too many people wondering through the woods have increased the number of orphan bears. Especially in the hibernation periods, female bears are scared by people who come too close to their dens and run, leaving their cubs alone. Also, the high value of bear trophies, which cost between 4,000 and 15,000 Euro, puts bears in danger. Sometimes, female bears are shot, and their cubs, too young to face life in the wilderness, are exposed to lots of dangers.



    Leo Bereczky is the one who set up the centre, out of passion for Romania’s most emblematic species: “The idea came to me out of necessity, as in Romania, in the Carpathian Mountains in particular, many bear cubs are left orphans because people have invaded their habitats and are no longer interacting with nature properly. It was a happy encounter between the ‘Vier Pfoten’ Foundation, which funded the project, and our wish to do something for these bear cubs. Now we have 10 cubs at the centre and we are proud that, until now, we have managed to rehabilitate and reintegrate into nature more than 100 cubs. The cubs get to our centre following requests by the authorities responsible for the management of this species and sometimes we are notified by the police. So, if somebody finds a bear cub, they inform the local authorities, and we are asked by the authorities to go and pick it up.”



    The bear cub orphanage is situated in an isolated mountain area, stretching across 20 hectares. The principle on the basis of which it operates is as little interaction with humans as possible, for the animals to be able to perfectly reintegrate into nature.



    Leo Bereczky: “Rehabilitation means replicating as much as possible the conditions in real nature. The cubs are kept in special enclosures where the environment is completely natural, and where they can develop their natural instincts. It’s good to know that a cub is born with all the natural instincts needed for its survival, that is the instinct to escape, find refuge in a tree in case of danger or find food. So the cub is born with all these instincts and it does not learn the things I just mentioned from the mother. This makes possible its rehabilitation, the manner of raising it so that it can still be a genuinely wild animal. We are trying to take care of the cubs in these reserves that can be extended, if needed, depending on their needs. At this time of the year, additional food is placed in the reserve for the cubs, but in a manner that makes it impossible for them to associate the source of food with the presence of people. That means they find the food that we provide just as they would find it in nature, which allows them to develop as normal bears. It’s just their mum that’s missing, but we try to make up for it. After about one year and a half, one of the reserve’s gates is left open and the little bears are allowed to explore the centre’s surroundings. They tend to explore more as the amount of additional food in the reserve is smaller. So we push them into exploring as much as possible, until they become free bears able to live in the wild all by themselves. “



    There is a big number of orphan cubs in the Carpathian region every year. Unfortunately, the Harghita Centre for Bear Cubs Rehabilitation risks being closed down, as there are no more funds to support it. Under these circumstances, the bear cubs’ future is uncertain. World Wildlife Fund Romania in running a fund raising campaign, between September 7th and October 15th. The cost of food for one cub stands at 4 thousand dollars per year. This may seem a big amount, but anyone can help save a cub by offering 5 dollars a month, that will cover its food for one day, by making a donation on wwf.ro/orfelinat. Besides food and protection, the shelter is a safe environment where veterinarian care is also provided. Moreover, the collected money will allow Leo Bereczky to develop the centre so that as many cubs as possible be rescued and then reintegrated into the wild.



    Leo Bereczky: “We are trying to find donors able to further develop this project. This is a necessary project and we cannot afford to drop it, as this would mean that some cubs stand no chance of survival or they may end up in zoos or illegal shelters. A cub’s rehabilitation costs between 3,500 and 4,500 euros per year, so the project needs at least 50 thousand euros per year to survive.”



    There are several thousand bears living in Romania at present, accounting for around 40% of Europe’s total bear population. (Edited by D. Vijeu)

  • Beyond the Horizon

    Beyond the Horizon

    Archaic scenery, talented craftsmen, and the main character, Luca, a child who set off for an unusual journey through the Hills of Transylvania, a journey that will take him from the village of Cornatel to Sighisoara and all the way down to Saschiz. All these are the ingredients of a comic book which seeks to promote Romania’s wildlife and traditions, and which has been recently launched.



    The head of the World Wild Fund for Nature Romania Csibi Magor has told us what the aim of the book is: ”Whenever we speak about protected areas, it is very hard to bring them closer, especially closer to city dwellers. That’s why it is very difficult for us to make sense of the fact that we somehow try to protect nature from people. With this comic book, what we have tried to show is that we’ve got that side of nature, which is very precious and very spectacular, but apart from that, there are also the rural communities, the establishments and all that. And here it’s about two children, one from the city and another one from the countryside, who discover together Romania’s second largest protected area. They do that step by step, starting with the flora, the fauna, the villages, crafts and trades and thus we somehow show all those who will read our little book what a protected area means, the wonderful things inside it, how much flora, fauna, how much nature there is, how many traditions, villages and how people inhabiting those areas learned to live in harmony with nature.”



    Luca roams landscapes full of flowers, using wagons and little donkeys, chats with the locals, observes birds just like a famous biologist, he restores houses, does some sheep-clipping and tries his hand at pottery.



    The representative of Adept, an NGO running projects in the area, Ben Mehedin, told us what the book speaks about: ”We speak about the hills, we speak about Transylvania and we speak about childhood. All these are shrouded in mystery. For a child, this could be the experience of his life. They say that when asked to draw a chicken, children made the drawing of a chicken with no feathers, as that’s how they were sold in the supermarket, because they didn’t know what a chicken looked like. Well, in Transylvania, in the Hills of Transylvania, we can see some nature. It is an inhabited area, with many people living there. There is also some nature left although there isn’t a single spot where man did not plunder nature of its resources. In our little book you will find a map of a multicultural journey: nature, people, places, fresh air and archaic scenery, as far as the eye can see.”



    As they set about writing the comic book, World Wild Fund for Nature specialists who supervised the inventory of species in the Hills of Transylvania worked jointly with scriptwriter Adina Popescu and illustrator Alexandru Ciubotariu. World Wild Fund for Nature Romania worked with the Vellant Publishers to get their book published. The publication of the first volume of this comic book was possible due to a Swiss grant offered via The Swiss Contribution for the Enlarged European Union.



    Attending the launch of the comic book, Louise Marie Stoicescu of the Swiss Embassy in Bucharest highlighted the importance of the project: ”For us, it means a lot, since it is a tangible outcome of the projects the Swiss-Romanian cooperation program has been running in Romania. A part of the program, running as “the thematic background for the support of civil society” was created with the clear purpose of supporting the non-governmental organizations in the field of protected areas as well in the field of social work. Receiving funding were about 99 projects, half of which have been completed. The project we’ve been presented with tonight has also been completed and we are happy to see they have a tangible outcome and not only that, we’re happy that through that project we were able to support highly enthusiastic people, who have done wonderful things. I for one, although I am quite familiar with the area, was very delighted with the Hirtibaci plateau and the network of non-governmental organizations that got together to turn the area into something viable. This project has certainly reached its goal.”



    In the next book, the main character plans an adventurous trip to the Mountainous Region of Banat, with walks taken alongside the locals, traditionally known as Gugulani, as well as adventures with legendary aurochs. However, the initiators of the project thought out a mechanism by which the next books should be self-financed, that is, the money collected from the selling of the first book should finance the following ones.



    The illustrator of “Beyond the Horizon”, Alexandru Ciubotaru, tells us more about this wonderful project: “Let me just extend my thanks to all those who made this project possible, a project that I hold most dear, and on which we have worked a lot. This project has undergone great transformations, from the first ideas all the way to the final product. (…) I hope that people who read the book will be inspired and will want to visit the beautiful places that it presents, as this is the very purpose of it. I hope you really enjoy this book.”