There are many wildlife sanctuaries and national parks in Belarus. They keep the flora and fauna of the Sineokaya intact. To enjoy outdoor recreation, you can go to any of these corners. But each reserve and national park has its own characteristics that attract tourists.

In 2020 alone, about 8 thousand people visited the Naliboksky reserve in the Minsk region. What attracts tourists to the wilderness area?

One of the main attractions of the reserve is the unique tarpan horses. Stunted, wide and massive – they are completely covered with short fur. There is a black stripe along the ridge of these horses – this is a sign of tarpans. The manes of tarpan-like horses are mohawks, not like those of domestic ones, in which they seem to be combed on their side. Tarpan horses are the descendants of the famous, extinct tarpan, crossed with domestic horses. The breed is also called Polish Konik or simply Konik. Two years ago, there were no such unusual animals in Belarus.

In 2019, 150 horses were brought to the reserve from the Netherlands. Each animal was chipped and then released on the territory of the Pushcha. The new settlers settled in the Pushcha on their own. The new house came to their liking, and soon the herd was replenished with young foals. Now watching them is even more interesting! During excursions around the reserve, tourists are guided by trails chosen by horses, so everyone can admire the miracle of nature at arm's length. Wild horses are not afraid of people.

The reserve also invites tourists to observe wild animals in their natural habitat. Here you can see how the bison live – symbols of Belarus, deer and roe deer. These animals are more familiar to the Slavs, but it is no less interesting to watch them.

And also in the reserve Naliboksky, there is the only black grouse nursery in Belarus. Here they breed wood grouses of the Mayer subspecies – birds that have long lived on the territory of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. The number of wood grouses in forests is rapidly decreasing. Because of this, since 2020, they have been banned from hunting.

Capercaillies can fly but spend most of their lives on the ground. It is interesting that they hibernate, buried in the snow. The birds first climb onto a branch, choose a suitable snowdrift and fall like a stone from the tree into the snow. There they dig tunnels in which not only wood grouses hide, but other birds as well. Remember the expression deaf as a black grouse? It came from another feature of these birds – when males sing songs for females during the mating season, their auditory canal is blocked, and they literally do not hear anything.

These amazing birds rarely breed in captivity, but experts still managed to breed about 20 chicks.

You can order a tour of Nalibokskaya Pushcha on our website. We offer a choice of:

• a one-day excursion Nalibokskie landscapes, during which you will not only visit the reserve but also visit the temples in Golshany, Volozhin and Boruny.

• a four-day cycling and water tour Nalibokskaya Pushcha – natural inventions with an overnight stay in tents and kayaking.

You can also visit Nalibokskaya Pushcha in winter. In the cold season, the forest is especially beautiful!

Photo:  ecoportal.gov.by,  ptushki.org,  laerta.com

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