National parks and reserves in Belarus
Belovezhskaya Puscha National Park
Belovezhskaya Puscha Natio nal Park is, while the Polish located in the western part of the country in Brest Region’s Kamenets and Pruzhany districts and Grodno Region’s Svisloch District. It forms a single nature reserve with Poland’s Belovezhski National Park. The area of the Belarusian part of the reserve is 163,505 hectarespart makes 10,501 hectares.
Belarus’ first national park was set up in 1991.
Belovezhskaya Puscha is one of the oldest nature reserves in the world. No man has ever been in some parts of this park, and tourists are banned from entering such places.
The intact wood of Belovezhskaya Puscha was first mentioned in chronicles in the 10th century, and in the 14th
century Lithuanian Prince Yagailo proclaimed these lands a reserve.
In 1992 UNESKO put Belovezhskaya Puscha on its World Heritage List. In 1993 the park received the status of a biosphere reserve, and in 1998 — the status of an international ornithological area. In 1997 Belovezhskaya Puscha was awarded with a diploma of the Council of Europe for an immense contribution to environment protection.
Belovezhskaya Puscha contains Europe’s largest old forest, with some pines aged 200-530 years and oaks aged 330-550 years. The flora is represented by 958 vegetative plants, around 260 moss species, over 290 lichens, 570 kinds of mushrooms. The reserve’s flora contains 65 endangered species.
The fauna of the reserve counts 59 mammals (including 6 rare species), 253 bird species, 11 amphibians, 7 reptiles, 24 fish species and over 11,000 invertebrates. Eleven mammals, 52 fowl species, two reptiles, one amphibian, 8 fish species and 38 insects were included in Belarus’ Red Book.
The reserve takes special pride in its large population of bisons.
Belovezhskaya Puscha has been known as a place of royal hunting since the 15th century. To hunt here today
one does not need to belong to any royal family.
