A new local landscape reserve, “Khovrashyvia,” has been established in Vinnytsia Oblast to protect an important habitat of the European ground squirrel (Spermophilus citellus), a rare and endangered mammal species.
On 21 August 2026, the Vinnytsia Regional Council adopted a decision to designate the 9.613-hectare reserve within the territory of the Obodivka Territorial Community.
The establishment of “Khovrashyvia” is the result of joint work by scientists from the Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group and the I.I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, local authorities, and the regional administration. Conservationists prepared the scientific justification, which was supported by the Vinnytsia Regional Council.
Protecting a Species in Decline
Until relatively recently, the European ground squirrel was a common inhabitant of Ukraine’s forest-steppe landscapes. Today, both its population and range have declined significantly, and the species is at risk of complete extinction.
The European ground squirrel is listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine and is under strict international protection in accordance with Resolution No. 6 of the Bern Convention, ratified by Ukraine.
One of the key conditions for conserving ground squirrels is maintaining open grassland areas where the animals can establish colonies and find food. Protecting such habitats is therefore essential for the long-term survival of the species.
What Will Change in the Reserve
The status of a landscape reserve does not require land to be withdrawn from its owners or users. At the same time, it establishes a protection regime necessary to conserve the natural area.
In particular, the following activities will be prohibited within “Khovrashyvia”:
- ploughing the land;
- construction and alteration of the natural relief;
- burning dry vegetation;
- the use of chemical substances;
- mineral extraction;
- artificial afforestation of steppe areas.
At the same time, establishing the reserve does not mean a complete ban on economic activities. Local residents will still be able to engage in traditional forms of natural resource use that do not harm the area, including moderate livestock grazing and haymaking, as well as gathering berries and medicinal plants.
In particular, grazing and haymaking also have a conservation role here: they help prevent the natural afforestation of open areas and maintain the conditions necessary for ground squirrels to survive.
Scientific research and environmental educational excursions will also be permitted within the reserve.
The establishment of “Khovrashyvia” is another step towards protecting habitats of rare species and restoring the natural heritage of Vinnytsia Oblast. Protecting even small areas that are important for such species can be crucial to their long-term survival. In 2025, the Vinnytsia Regional Council established the 180-hectare-plus “Hariachkivka” landscape reserve to protect European ground squirrel habitats. We will continue working to establish four more reserves that will also protect European ground squirrel habitats in Vinnytsia Oblast.
Photo: Mykhailo Rusin
