Pripyatskiy National Park

Pripyatskiy National Park (area of 188,485 ha) is located in the territory of Zhitkovichi, Petrikov, Lelchitsy Districts, Gomel Region with the administrative centre in the town of Turov. The park is divided into functional zones: reserved or absolute reserve; regulated-use zone in which measures are taken to restore ecosystems and natural resources are exploited partially; economic in which traditional economic activity is performed; Lyaskovichi experimental game husbandry. Besides, the park additionally rents 92,897 ha of hunting areas.

Meadows with rich herb vegetation and picturesque branchy oaks are spread in the flooded treeless part of the flood plain on small hills. In degradations bush and treelike willows, lowland marshes, cut-offs. In spring the flood plain is flooded with water, sometimes water covers up to 4/5 of its territory. The forests of the national park cover 85 % of the area, they are considered to be best preserved among flood-plain forests of the basin of the Pripyat and Dnieper. They are unique for the whole East European plain. Oak woods, ash woods, forest of small-leaved deciduous species in the first terrace above the flood plain interchanging the European wolf, fox, European lynx, common marten, ferret, least weasel. Such acclimatised mammals as the musk beaver, American mink, raccoon dog are numerous as well. They have naturalised well and occupied their place in the park ecology. Diversity of birds the majority of which may be observed in the flood-plain part of the park is exceptionally high. The aigrette and little aigrette, common and purple herons, swans, various species of sandpipers, gulls, morwennols, ducks, the black-crowned night heron and many other semi-aquatic species may be found here. The capercaillie, black grouse, crane are usual on marshes. A lot of species of birds of prey live in the park. These include the eagle owl, fish-hawk, harrier eagle, honey buzzard, white-tailed sea eagle, golden eagle, black kite, greater and lesser spotted eagle etc. 74 species of vertebrata are on the Red List. These are the auroch, badger, European lynx, common dormouse, black stork, red-necked grebe, three-toed and green woodpeckers, common crane, penduline tit, majority of birds of prey as well as the common ringed plover, oyster catcher, Eurasian curlew, whimbrel, fresh-water turtle, natterjack, smooth snake etc. Shoals offish (bream, pike, sabrefish, roach, ide) come to breed to the shallow water of flooded meadows and forests.

Pripyatskiy National Park offers for the tourist service: one-day and two-days tours with visits of ecologic routes and the Nature Museum in Turov; two-days water tours by motor vessel with organisation of angling, picnics with fish broth and shashlik in the open; special ecologic tours up to 10 days with guaranteed demonstratiоn of 120-140 species of birds (in spring and summer); learning of the historic and cultural heritage, vernacular arts and popular traditions of Turov lands; various types of hunting hoofed animals, wolves, marsh and water fowl in special areas within the time determined; angling tours with angling of the pike, bream, freshwater catfish.