Sousliks relocated in Sakar have made a new colony

At the end of March experts from the BSPB team from Life for Falcons project monitored the status of the sousliks, relocated last year from Maglizh in Sakar. We founded many active holes of the individuals successfully survived the winer. They have mixed with the local population of Hartin’s vole and make their holes between those of the voles. We found the souslik holes who has crossed the road and had settled on the other side – lamost 80 meters from the closest holes, which we had prepared for them last year. We observed only 1 individual directly, but we supposed that the low activity is due to the low temperatures and strong wind. During such weather conditions sousliks prefer to stay underground.

In May the place was visited again by another associate who again observed many active holes, but this time the high grass prevented her from directly observing the sousliks.

The backstory goes back to early spring when during their regular monitoring Green Balkans’ team found out about the initiated destruction of a souslik colony near Maglizh. After the signal send to the RIEW Stara Zagora and Maglizh municipality a checkup has been made and the investor received charges to stop the construction and to apply actions to mitigate the negative impact on the colony. Together with the IBER-BAS experts the company building the photovoltaic park developed a program for the lessening the effects from the construction and the exploitation of the park upon the souslik population and other biodiversity elements, which is still to be implemented. 

It is important to underline that this is a mitigating activity which is planned only because the construction of the park has already started.

 

Photos: Silvia Dyulgerova