Fire destroys 16 km of occupied Dzharylhach Island, fate of animals unknown
Almost 16 km of territory have been destroyed on the occupied Island of Dzharylhach in Kherson Oblast as a result of a long-lasting fire.
Almost the entire protected area of the island was burned down, and the fate of the animals is unknown. Iryna Sabashenko, head of the Dzharylhach National Nature Park, reported this in a commentary to Novyny Pryazovia by Radio Liberty.
She stated that the fire broke out due to the Russian occupiers setting up a training ground on the territory of the island. The fire started on 4-5 August and lasted until 11 August.
"It was most likely a vegetation fire; that's why it happened. Almost the entire protected area has burned down, where the majority of valuable species, all parts of the steppe ecosystems, and rare species listed in the Green Book of Ukraine are concentrated. The fate of the animals is unknown," Sabashenko stated.
The fire could have destroyed most of the unique ecosystem. The populations of all rare plants and animals, including ungulates, were affected.
Sabashenko says that it will take from 15 to 30 years for some plant species to be restored.
For reference: Dzharylhach is the biggest island in Ukraine, located in the Skadovsk district of Kherson Oblast. The Dzharylhach National Nature Park, with its unique animals and plants, is located on the territory of the island.
Among the residents of the park are red deer, doe, mouflon, raccoon dog etc. Earlier, the Russian terrorists killed white swans from the Red Book for fun and wanted to shoot rare animals.
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