Press releases

International wildlife research center opens in Belovezhskaya Pushcha

KAMENETS DISTRICT, 30 July (BelTA) – An international wildlife research center has opened in the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park, BelTA has learned.

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko visited Brest Oblast on 30 July. Some of his first remarks during the visit focused on Belovezhskaya Pushcha and the need for a careful approach to the national park’s future development. “The popularity of Belovezhskaya Pushcha is growing exponentially, both within our country, where we are prioritizing domestic tourism for the coming years, and especially among foreign visitors. The number of visitors, as well as the events hosted here, increases every year. Today is a regular weekday, yet as we drove by, we saw the parking lot packed with cars and so many people walking around. The cafes, restaurants, and all the facilities you are building here are in high demand. This center holds special significance. We are elevating the role of the Academy of Sciences and the importance of nature reserves,” Head of the Belarus President Administration Dmitry Krutoi stressed.

The construction of the wildlife research center is outlined in the national park’s development concept. Work on the site began in the spring of 2025, and specialists completed the task in just over a year. They built a two-storey facility within Belovezhskaya Pushcha, which houses environmental monitoring laboratories, high-tech storage spaces for organizing and preserving researched flora and fauna specimens, and administrative offices.

The center will host scientists from Belovezhskaya Pushcha alongside visiting experts from Belarus and abroad. They will focus on comprehensive, interdisciplinary studies of the park’s reference ecosystems and monitor rare animal species, with a particular emphasis on the European bison. Other key priorities include biodiversity conservation and the development of innovative field research methods. Using accurate, long-term data, researchers will formulate science-based strategies for the preservation, restoration, and sustainable management of this ancient forest.

“Scientific activity has been carried out since Belovezhskaya Pushcha was first established as a national park. I would say the goal now is to systematize this work. We believe that the center should serve more than just Belovezhskaya Pushcha. After all, scientific research is conducted in all protected natural areas, and this center will coordinate that work,” Head of the Belarus President Property Management Directorate Yuri Nazarov explained.

Belovezhskaya Pushcha is a unique natural complex of special significance and is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. “It is crucial to preserve it. This is exactly why we need applied science here – to monitor ongoing processes,” Yuri Nazarov emphasized. Based on the collected data, scientists will be able to forecast future environmental trends.

The head of the Belarus President Property Management Directorate cited several examples of the specialists’ successful work. Within the forest, the artificially disrupted historic riverbed of the Narevka River has been restored. Scientists remeandered the river and blocked drainage ditches to halt wetland drainage and raise groundwater levels, preventing the dieback of the ancient forests. Another major milestone is the project to restore the European bison population in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. “We need to take bison conservation very seriously. If it weren’t for science, the European bison wouldn’t even exist today,” Yuri Nazarov said. “The center’s task is to coordinate these efforts, including with our Russian scientific colleagues.”

The scope of topics for researchers is as broad as possible. They are expected to make a definitive impact on the fight against invasive plants and even on tourism. “The opening of the center will provide scientists with new research tools, allowing them to conduct studies at a fundamentally new level and fulfill their commitments more effectively. The research avenues are highly diverse. They include not only studying the current state of Belovezhskaya Pushcha and forecasting the development of this protected natural area in the context of climate change and human impact. Most importantly, it is about developing effective management systems for all protected areas so that we can pass on Belarus’ natural gems to future generations in their pristine state,” Chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NASB) Vladimir Karanik said.

Brest Oblast Governor Piotr Parkhomchik added that Belovezhskaya Pushcha is creating an environment to support experienced scientists and attract young talent.