Posted on June, 08 2007

Two calves were born this spring on Tataru Island in the Ukrainian Danube Delta, reinforcing the herd of cattle that have been brought by WWF to the island to help restore and create a rich diversity of habitats on the island. The calves appear strong and healthy – a good sign for future reintroductions of cattle throughout the region.

Diversifying habitats and incomes
WWF brought the cows to Tataru in 2005 as a demonstration project, inspired by successful initiatives in the Netherlands and elsewhere. “The idea is that the cows break up the undergrowth of dense forest on the island, enhancing the diversity of habitats on the island,” says Misha Nesterenko, WWF-DCPO project leader.

The hardy Ukrainian grey steppe cattle – whose ancestors were herded by Cossacks in open areas of Ukraine – are left to fend and forage for themselves, keeping maintenance costs to a minimum. Eventually, they should provide income in the form of beef for their owners – in the case of Tataru, the regional Forest Administration, which owns the island.

So far, so good
After two cows died in the first harsh winter, the birth of the two calves this year brings the population back up to eleven. “Our Dutch advisers told us that we could expect as many as 60% of the cattle to die in the first year,” Nesterenko said.

Another herd will soon be introduced across the Danube river channel in the Izmail gallery forest. There are also plans to introduce cattle to the Letea gallery forest in Romania as well – a unique series of old sand ridges, deposited by the Danube Delta and covered by oak and other mature forests.

The cattle introduction is only one part of a range of initiatives being undertaken by WWF-DPCO with support from WWF-Netherlands to restore unique habitats in the spectacular Danube Delta, one of WWF’s Global 200 ecoregions of global importance. Two years ago, bulldozers knocked down a number of dikes around the islands, allowing Danube floodwaters to return and restore the former wetlands of the island. Later this year, ca. 10,000 ha Lake Katlabuh will be reconnected to the Danube channel. The Danube waters will restore the lake and the valuable wetland habitats that are a paradise for waterfowl, including globally threatened species as Ferruginous ducks, Pelicans and Pygmy cormorants.

Delta vision
The projects are being undertaken by WWF in cooperation with the Odessa Water Management Authorities, the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve and Forest Authorities within the framework of a mutual agreed vision for the Danube Delta. Similar initiatives are now beginning in the Romanian part of the Delta as part of a broader vision for the development of the Delta as a whole. Aside from continuing restoration work, WWF is also seeking to guide socioeconomic development of the area, especially tourism and navigation, which pose major threats but also hold opportunities for the long-term sustainable development of the region.


Contact:
Misha Nesterenko, Danube Delta Project Leader, WWF Danube Carpathian Programme