Żubr Fund helps restore population of ground squirrel in Poland

Sleepyhead who spends most of its life sleeping. Builder of dens with multiple entrances. Relative of the squirrel and the marmot. The ground squirrel is an unusual species, which became extinct in Poland at the end of the previous century. The Żubr Fund helps restore its population after 30 years of absence.

The small-sized ground squirrel most probably came to Poland from the Czech Republic. The oldest data about its presence in Poland come from the end of the 18 th /beginning of the 19 th century. It lives in colonies, on open turfs – staying out of the way. Due to a drastic reduction of availability of such habitats in the 20 th century, ground squirrels were put to the test and finally failed as a result of unjustified extermination of these rodents. Ground squirrels were last spotted at the beginning of the 1970s, and in 1992 they were marked as probably extinct in the most important register of endangered species. It means that the ground squirrel is more endangered than for example the Eurasian lynx, wolf, bison, golden eagle or peregrine falcon.

– The absence of the smallest element in an ecosystem might be imperceptible at first, but it always causes a disturbance. The disappearance of one species is always followed by other ecologically connected species – says dr Anrzej Kepel, biologist, president of the Polish Society for Nature Conservation “Salamandra”, which at the beginning of the 21 st century undertook to reintroduce the ground squirrel in Poland.

Ground squirrels that currently inhabit two big areas near Głębowice and Kamień Sląski were brought from Hungary and Slovakia and reproduced in a zoo in Poznań. Thanks to “Salamandra’s” efforts, there are already about 1,500 of them now in Poland, but to make sure they are not endangered, 6-7 areas must be created, and only 15 of them will several hundreds of ground squirrels each will confirm that the species has been restored. In order to ensure the right space and conditions to do that, the Żubr Fund donates 150,000 zlotys, mainly to purchase land to create areas for new ground squirrel colonies and ensure the survival of the species.

– The ground squirrel is a so-called umbrella species, which means that by protecting its habitats, we also protect other valuable species of plants and animals – says dr Andrzej Kepel. – The population under the "umbrella" of the ground squirrel at the site in Kamień Śląski includes the turquoise variety of slowworm - a legless lizard, smooth snake - a non- venomous snake species, meadow pipit bird and gentian cross – a perennial flowering plant.

In its previous campaigns, the Żubr Fund returned essential land to wild nature on numerous occasions. Continuing the mission indicated in the “Żubr Saves Endangered Speciels” slogan, the Fund joins the unprecedented project of reintroduction of the ground squirrel population and helps to provide it with land to start new colonies.

Protecting endangered species is the main mission of the Żubr Fund, established by Kompania Piwowarska’s Żubr brand with the goal of educating the society and saving wildlife in the most valuable regions across Poland. For that purpose, the Żubr Fund supports various pro-environmental initiatives: long-term, as the cooperation with the Białowieża National Park, and those that require immediate action, like providing help when the Biebrza valley was on fire. In 2019, the Żubr brand donated one million zloty to protect endangered species, in 2020 it financed specialist equipment for the Białowieża National Park worth one million zloty and this year another million will be allocated to protect wild nature in its original shape.

The Żubr Fund’s last year’s campaign aimed at helping purchase lands within the Biebrza National Park, was widely recognised in the Polish and international media and contributed to increasing the protected area of the Park by 250,000 m². This year, as part of the fourth edition of the “Żubr Protects Endangered Animal Species” campaign, the Żubr Fund joins forces with the Nature Heritage Foundation to launch two innovative campaigns aimed at supporting nature by creating micro-reserves and eternal forests.

When executing pro-environmental initiatives, the Żubr Fund always relies on the knowledge of scientists and ecologists, who are considered experts on a particular subject. It also support the engagement of local communities, as only joint efforts can bring lasting results.

By the end of the year, more campaigns will have been launched in cooperation with various eco-friendly organizations. More information about the Fund can be found here:
https://funduszzubra.pl