Nadezhda Kazankova

November 12, 2026 12:08

In early November, one of the employees of the Cherikov Forestry became a witness to an exciting event: bison were spotted in one of the quarters of the Veprynskoye forest district. And this is not just a casual encounter, but confirmation of the successful implementation of a large-scale project to settle these magnificent animals in the Cherikov district.

The History of the Bison's Appearance

Certainly, many of you, our dear readers, remember the news that new inhabitants - powerful and majestic animals, bison - appeared in the territories of the Cherikov Forestry. The "settlement" in a specially created enclosure on the territory of the biological reserve "Cherikovskiy", which is located in the Veprynskoye forest district, took place on December 1, 2023. Two individuals - a mother and a calf, brought from the territory of the Osipovichsky Experimental Forestry - then obtained a new residence. Gradually, the number of these animals increased: other representatives of this species were also brought in. In total, a group of 9 bison settled in the Cherikov Forestry.

During the adaptation period to the new territory, they were kept on a limited area of 5 hectares. The foresters of the Cherikov Forestry observed them, and it was they who ensured that the animals had enough food during this period. In the winter, especially snowy ones, the bison were fed with hay, silage, and grain mix.

In the enclosure, the animals spent a year and a half and were released into the wild Cherikov expanses in May 2025. Among them was a small bison calf that was born on Cherikov soil.

The Meeting Place

The meeting that took place in these November days became the first, after the bison were released into the wild, when they were able to be captured on camera. During his regular trip to the forest, they were noticed by a forestry worker - the operator of the drying equipment of the woodworking shop, Vitaly Borsukov. The man is an avid hunter and this time went to set traps for small fur animals - sables.

The meeting place was the same Veprynskoye forest district, 52nd quarter, near the village of Borovaya.

— When I saw the huge animal, I immediately thought it was a bear, — Vitaliy told us. — But then I took a closer look and realized it was a bison. A little further away from it, other members of its species were lying down. The entire herd was resting. I couldn't resist, I pulled out my phone and started filming. I wanted to get closer, but the twigs under my feet crackled treacherously. As a result, the beast got scared, jumped up, and ran away. And with it, all the others ran away too.

The man added that everything happened so quickly that he even found it difficult to name the exact number of bison that were in that place.

— The bison I was filming was lying on top, and the others were a little lower, in a hollow. It seemed to me that there were at least 7-8 adult individuals, — said Vitaliy Borsukov.

In the Cherykovsky forest district, they emphasize that in any case, the fact of the encounter and the video confirmation gives reason to believe that the bison have not gone anywhere, they have settled and adapted in our area, which means the population will gradually grow.

Not chosen by chance

We also recall that the Cherykovsky district was chosen for the creation of a new population of European bison not by chance.

In one of the interviews with BelTA, the head of the hunting economy department of the Ministry of Forestry, Alexander Kozorez, noted that within the framework of the state program "Belarusian Forest" for 2021-2025, the foundations were laid for the resettlement of bison, including because their number had grown significantly. Already by 2023, there were about 3,000 individuals in our country.

"They are all concentrated in large local and fairly numerous populations — Bialowieza, Osipovichi, where more than 700 individuals live. These are quite conservative animals that settle very slowly and concentrate on small territories, which creates problems, including for agriculture. Therefore, they require resettlement," — Alexander Kozorez told journalists.

And one of the places for resettlement, according to the head of the hunting economy department of the Ministry of Forestry, was chosen to be the territories of the Cherykovsky forest district, where there are many lands that suffered from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident — abandoned, vacant territories that are overgrown with weeds.

"Natural grazing of bison is one of the methods of fighting this environmental problem and preserving biodiversity. In addition, the district's territories are favorable for this species of hoofed animals," — Alexander Kozorez emphasized.