Press release (translated by aunt google):
(Czech national) Nature and Landscape Protection Agency: This year we broke the ground squirrel record
Every year, thanks to the rescue program, several dozen sousliks are released into the wild. A record number of animals found their new home this year. During July, 171 ground squirrels were gradually released at six different localities in Bohemia and Moravia.
In addition to the AOPK CR, the Karlovy Vary Museum and several zoos, including foreign ones, are also involved in the implementation of the ground squirrel rescue program.
"For the first time ever, ground squirrels were transported to the Czech Republic from the Swedish Nordens Ark Zoo. Eighteen cubs this year managed the long journey by plane without any problems. A few hours after landing, they were already actively scouting a special release pen at the Hliniště locality in the protected landscape area of České středohoří, ”says Tereza Brzobohatá, coordinator of the rescue program. The "Swedish" ground squirrels were joined by 25 ground squirrels bred in the Hluboká nad Vltavou ZOO. Another almost thirty animals from the Nuremberg Zoo strengthened the colony in the nearby Písečný vrch nature reserve. The mutual proximity of both places should allow the ground squirrels in the České středohoří to naturally exchange individuals between colonies.
A total of 80 ground squirrels were also caught on the well-known "ground squirrel meadow" in Radouč in Mladá Boleslav. The local colony has long struggled with unwanted feeding by visitors. This causes an unnaturally fast growth in the number of ground squirrels. There are more than is suitable in such a small area. The captured animals thus helped to strengthen the existing population in Loděnice near Beroun, at the airport in Kolín and in Velké Pavlovice in southern Moravia. At the same time, the overloaded Mladá Boleslav colony was lightened.
The last release took place on July 21 at Břeclav-Ladná Airport, where the local small group of only a few animals has been strengthened for the second year in a row. 20 ground squirrels bred in the Brno Zoo were released into artificially drilled burrows.
In the Czech Republic in 2020, there were an estimated 8,000 ground squirrels. At the start of the rescue program, it was about 3,600. However, the results of this year's monitoring suggests that the long winter and cold, rainy spring, combined with frequent torrential rains, did not suit the ground squirrels. Compared to last year, these endangered rodents have decreased by about two thousand, despite the considerable efforts of all participants of the rescue program. We can only hope that the released ground squirrels and everyone else will do a little better next year.
Source: AOPK
(Czech national) Nature and Landscape Protection Agency: This year we broke the ground squirrel record
Every year, thanks to the rescue program, several dozen sousliks are released into the wild. A record number of animals found their new home this year. During July, 171 ground squirrels were gradually released at six different localities in Bohemia and Moravia.
In addition to the AOPK CR, the Karlovy Vary Museum and several zoos, including foreign ones, are also involved in the implementation of the ground squirrel rescue program.
"For the first time ever, ground squirrels were transported to the Czech Republic from the Swedish Nordens Ark Zoo. Eighteen cubs this year managed the long journey by plane without any problems. A few hours after landing, they were already actively scouting a special release pen at the Hliniště locality in the protected landscape area of České středohoří, ”says Tereza Brzobohatá, coordinator of the rescue program. The "Swedish" ground squirrels were joined by 25 ground squirrels bred in the Hluboká nad Vltavou ZOO. Another almost thirty animals from the Nuremberg Zoo strengthened the colony in the nearby Písečný vrch nature reserve. The mutual proximity of both places should allow the ground squirrels in the České středohoří to naturally exchange individuals between colonies.
A total of 80 ground squirrels were also caught on the well-known "ground squirrel meadow" in Radouč in Mladá Boleslav. The local colony has long struggled with unwanted feeding by visitors. This causes an unnaturally fast growth in the number of ground squirrels. There are more than is suitable in such a small area. The captured animals thus helped to strengthen the existing population in Loděnice near Beroun, at the airport in Kolín and in Velké Pavlovice in southern Moravia. At the same time, the overloaded Mladá Boleslav colony was lightened.
The last release took place on July 21 at Břeclav-Ladná Airport, where the local small group of only a few animals has been strengthened for the second year in a row. 20 ground squirrels bred in the Brno Zoo were released into artificially drilled burrows.
In the Czech Republic in 2020, there were an estimated 8,000 ground squirrels. At the start of the rescue program, it was about 3,600. However, the results of this year's monitoring suggests that the long winter and cold, rainy spring, combined with frequent torrential rains, did not suit the ground squirrels. Compared to last year, these endangered rodents have decreased by about two thousand, despite the considerable efforts of all participants of the rescue program. We can only hope that the released ground squirrels and everyone else will do a little better next year.
Source: AOPK