How Wild Donkeys Are Rewilding Ukraine During Wartime
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📰 The quick summary: Even as war continues, Ukraine’s Rewilding Ukraine project is restoring 600 hectares of steppe grassland by reintroducing native species like wild donkeys, laying the groundwork for healthier ecosystems and a nature-based economy once peace arrives.
📈 One key stat: Grasslands with large and diverse grazing species like donkeys, horses, and buffalo deposit twice as much carbon compared to areas where no large grazers are present, making rewilding a powerful tool for climate resilience.
💬 One key quote: “Our rewilding efforts in the Danube Delta show that Ukraine’s nature is as resilient as the Ukrainian people, and the two depend on each other. I am confident that both will recover when the war ends.”
1️⃣ The big picture: Despite the ongoing war with Russia, conservation organization Rewilding Ukraine is actively restoring 600 hectares of formerly ploughed steppe grassland in southwestern Ukraine by reintroducing native animals including 35 wild donkeys called kulan, Konik horses, red deer, water buffalo, and other species. These animals act as natural ecosystem engineers, reducing wildfire risk by managing vegetation, improving soil fertility, and boosting carbon sequestration. Connected rewilding work is also underway at the nearby Danube Delta, where 10 obsolete dams are being removed to restore a self-sustaining wetland that hosts over 5,500 plant and animal species. Across the border in Romania, a parallel bison rewilding project already demonstrates how nature restoration can revive both ecosystems and local economies. Together, these efforts are building a blueprint for a greener, more resilient Ukraine once peace arrives.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: Reintroducing large grazers like kulan and water buffalo has already produced measurable ecological benefits, including doubled carbon storage in rewilded grasslands, improved soil health, increased fish populations, and more diverse bird communities. In spring 2022, the first kulan foal born in the wild in 200 years stumbled to its feet on the Tarutino Steppe, a powerful sign that nature can recover even under extreme conditions. Romania’s bison rewilding project, which now supports over 250 animals and dozens of local businesses, shows that this approach can generate real economic opportunity for rural communities through tourism, wildlife guiding, and nature-based enterprises. Rewilding Ukraine is also using rewilded landscapes as spaces for PTSD recovery programs for war veterans and their families, extending the healing power of nature beyond ecology. All of this work is being done now so that Ukraine can press go on a nature-based economy the moment conditions allow.
3️⃣ What’s next: Rewilding Ukraine is building Eco-park Tarutino with guided excursion routes, wildlife watching towers, and observation hides, ready to welcome tourists when the security situation improves. Rangers aim to resume full monitoring of rewilded herds and carry out additional animal releases once civilian access to restricted areas is restored. Internationally, the Endangered Landscapes and Seascapes Programme continues using satellite imagery to track ecological progress and refine a broader restoration blueprint for the region.
Read the full story here: Positive News – Why Ukraine is rewilding in the heat of war
