Research Staff Relocation from Askania-Nova to Borodyn Community

Researchers and some animals from the «Askania-Nova» biosphere reserve, currently under occupation in the Kherson region, will be relocated to the Borodyn community in the Bolhrad district. This location will become a new tourist attraction in the Odesa region.

Currently, discussions are underway to allocate 70 hectares of land within the Borodyn community for research purposes, where specialists from «Askania-Nova» will work. The support staff are planned to be recruited from local residents, creating additional job opportunities. This was reported by the publication «Bessarabia INFORM».

Community head Ivan Kyusse mentioned that preliminary meetings have already taken place with the director of the reserve Viktor Shapoval.

«We agreed to find a suitable plot where we can establish a unit to preserve unique animal species and provide work for researchers», – noted Ivan Kyusse.

On June 10, a session of the Budzhak village council is set to approve a Memorandum of Cooperation between the Borodyn community, the «Askania-Nova» biosphere reserve, and the NGO «Rewilding Ukraine».

On the same day, the issue of allocating 70 hectares of land for relocation will be considered.

Additional Information

The «Askania-Nova» biosphere reserve named after Friedrich Falz-Fein is the oldest reserve in Ukraine, located in the Kherson region (temporarily occupied since February 24, 2022). It houses the largest wild steppe in Europe.

The local zoo is home to animals from savannas, deserts, steppes, and mountainous regions. Additionally, rare birds of the steppe zone can be found here: Swainson's pheasant, steppe and gray cranes, steppe eagle, and black vulture. Most of these species are listed in the Red Book of Ukraine – the official list of rare, vulnerable, and endangered species of flora and fauna.