MINSK, 26 March (BelTA) – Belarus' Forestry Ministry and the State Forest Service of the Netherlands will build mutually beneficial cooperation in environmental protection. The transfer of wild horses to the Naliboki Reserve of Belarus might become the first landmark joint project, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian Forestry Ministry.
“Rewilding is at the heart of the project. Rewilding is a progressive approach to conservation that provides for gradual restoration of natural processes by reintroducing keystone species. The first species of this kind will be the Konik horse breed. The Netherlands have plans to give Belarus over 50 species of this breed. At present we are doing the necessary paperwork,” the press service noted.
The horses will arrive in Belarus at the start of the summer. After that, they will undergo an adaptation period.
The Naliboki Reserve is located in the territory of the Naliboki Forest, one of the biggest forests in Belarus and Eastern Europe. The reserve is located in the west of Belarus, 65km from Minsk. It covers 86,892 hectares. The reserve is home to over 50 animal species featured in Belarus' list of endangered species.
