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March 4, 2026, 11:37 a.m.
Traces of one of the rarest animals in Ukraine found in Odesa region
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Photo: Lower Dniester National Nature Park
Employees of the Lower Dniester National Nature Park recorded an important environmental event during a routine inspection of the Bilyaevka area.
According to the Lower Dniester National Park, fresh tracks of European mink(Mustela lutreola), one of the rarest predators in our fauna, were found on the park's territory.
Since the European mink leads an extremely cautious and hidden lifestyle, seeing it with your own eyes is a great success even for an experienced scientist. That is why the method of "reading tracks" on snow or wet coastal soil remains the main way to monitor this species.
Reference: The European mink is listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine. Due to competition with the stronger American mink and changes in ecosystems, its population in Europe is rapidly declining.
The discovered paw prints were not just a find for ecologists, but a real certificate of the quality of the local ecosystem. This confirms that the Bilyayivska area remains a safe and suitable place for vulnerable species that avoid human proximity and seek the wildest possible conditions.
Earlier, Intent wrote that on March 18, a fire broke out in the Lower Dniester National Nature Park in Odesa region, causing damage worth UAH 31 million 984 thousand.
Near Bilyayivka, a fire broke out in the wetland vegetation on the territory of the Lower Dniester National Nature Park. Due to strong north and northwest winds, the fire quickly spread to the Bilyayivka and Mayakivske island districts. Employees of the State Emergency Service and police managed to localize the fire only at 14:30 the next day. However, the total area of the burned area amounted to 1,880 hectares.
The National Park administration noted that this time the ecosystem was not critically affected. The nesting season is just beginning, and most birds have not yet had time to build nests. Many mammals, amphibians, and reptiles are still in a state of hibernation or just coming out of it.
"But if such fires recur later, at the height of the breeding season, the consequences could be catastrophic," the National Park noted.
The administration also proposed a number of measures to prevent such events. For example, installing surveillance cameras, equipping the national park with the necessary fire extinguishing equipment, training park employees and volunteers to act in case of fire, and organizing quick access of fire brigades to floodplains.
It should be noted that this is the second fire in this national park in a year, as in July 2024, the burning of dry vegetation in the Lower Dniester National Nature Park "Whispering Floodplains" led to the release of 285 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. At that time, state inspectors calculated the damage to the air to be almost UAH 886 million.
