Another charity appeal emerged around Christmas and it was a bit more unusual – donate meadows to sousliks, a.k.a. the European ground squirrel. The Rewilding Europe cross-European initiative calls on for it, trying to make the Continent a place with more wild nature, which is good for people as well. In November 2014 the East Rhodope Mountain became a part of this initiative, which is envisaged to include only 10 natural territories of that kind from the entire continent, or the most proper ones in terms of “rewilding”.

Why the East Rhodopes? It is one of the richest places in Europe, as far as biodiversity is concerned, explains Mr. Stoicho Stoichev from the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds /BSPB/, who is also the head of the Rewilding Rhodopes team.

“We see restoration of wild nature as the protection of habitats of rare plants and animals – from forests to predators. It is an almost virgin ecosystem, which is really interesting for tourists. It is a unique experience to have the chance to visit that area, where deer and wolves can be seen, also vultures and other species…”

The European ground squirrel takes an important place within that ecosystem. It vanishes quickly due to plowing or the growing of new forests across its habitats – mainly meadows.

“Only isolated small populations of sousliks have remained in the East Rhodopes,” says Stoicho Stoichev. “Their territories attract lots of other animals. This small rodent is seen as a dainty by several raptors, including the globally endangered eastern Imperial eagle, the Saker Falcon and a series of small mammals. Other species use sousliks’ holes as their shelter. I.e. whenever there is a colony of ground squirrels, one can expect to find some busy wildlife activity spot.”

That is the reason why Rewilding Europe collects donations for the purchase of terrains, which used to be grasslands before and which are suitable for colonization by sousliks. 10 ha of key ground squirrel habitats in the mountain have been marked, to the cost of some EUR 25,000. “We have collected around ¼ of the sum, mainly through donations from abroad,” Mr. Stoichev says and adds:

“The idea is these concrete habitats of the European ground squirrel to be purchased by environmental organizations and to be managed as grasslands, no matter whether it will be for locals’ farm animals or for the wild fauna around. Their purchase will guarantee that those shall not be plowed and no buildings will be constructed there ever…”

The return of wild nature to the East Rhodopes was initiated as early as the 1990s with BSPB’s efforts to keep the nearly extinguished griffon vultures. “Only several migrating couples were left then, while now we have more than 70, which is a real success,” Stoicho Stoichev is proud to say. Two deer species were introduced there later on – red and fallow deer, also wild horses and several European bison specimen. 30 new fallow deer are to be released there on 21 January with the assistance of the National Association of Hunters and Anglers.

One can learn more about the campaign at http://support.rewildingeurope.com/projecten/buy-a-plot-of-land-for-the-adorable-susliks-and-give-it-to-someone-you-like. Rewilding Europe organizes similar campaigns for the return of the European bison to the Carpathians, as well as for the protection of bears on the Apennines: http://support.rewildingeurope.com/. The initiative aims at making at least 1 mln ha of land wilder by 2022, establishing 10 beautiful areas with unspoilt nature, based on a new, competitive and sustainable economy.

English version: Zhivko Stanchev