Theriologia Ukrainica (Dec 2024)
Annotated review of the mammal fauna in the Chornobyl Biosphere Reserve as of 2023
Abstract
The review of mammals recorded in the Chornobyl Radiation-Ecological Biosphere Reserve (established in 2016, covering 2273 of the 2600 km² area of the former exclusion zone) is carried out for the second time in the entire history of studies in the region. In addition to presenting a checklist of the local mammal fauna, the review details the changes that have taken place over the last 20 years. In total, 61 species have been recorded in the Reserve (compared to 49 in 2006), representing 7 orders and 19 families. Among them, 10–11 species are non-native, of which 5 were introduced in the last 25–70 years. The rest of the species are autochthonous. Nine species are considered to be phantom species, meaning that they are known from neighbouring areas but have not been found in the Reserve. Twenty-two species have protected status in Ukraine (Red Data Book of Ukraine, 2021), and 6 in Europe (IUCN Red List, 2024). The changes in the checklist of the Reserve’s mammal fauna have mainly resulted from more intense studies and using revised approaches. Research on bats alone has added nine species to the list of mammals. Additionally, feral domestic animals (cats, dogs, and cattle) have been included in the checklist as they have formed established wild populations. Only two species, the golden jackal and the European bison, arrived naturally in the Reserve for the first time. The abundance of most species shows significant long-term and seasonal fluctuations, influenced by climate change, disease, shifts in vegetation, wildfires, floods, intraspecies dynamics, and occasionally human activity. Certain species (lynx, Przewalski’s horse, and bear) continue to increase in number, while the red deer has shifted from being a non-abundant to a dominant species. At the same time, there is limited information on rare and conditionally non-abundant species as they often fall outside the scope of research due to the difficulty of their study. This consideration is not reasonable as those species constitute a substantial portion of the checklist, and many of them are protected species. Nevertheless, the current state of the mammal fauna demonstrates the positive impact of nature conservation and the stable development of autochthonous populations, reinforcing the view that the Chornobyl Radiation-Ecological Biosphere Reserve is a highly valuable wildlife sanctuary in both Ukraine and Europe.
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