Konrad Wothe – Slovakia
July 9th, 2009 Posted in Eastern Europe, UncategorizedOther Languages:
I am just back from my mission in Eastern Slovakia where I was sent to photograph Sousliks amongst other subjects.
To prepare my mission I did an exploratory trip in June 2008, checked locations and made contacts. Luckily I found the Slovakian zoologist and photographer Stefan Danko who was very helpful - thanks again, Stefan!
He showed me a perfect Souslik colony on a farmland close to Strazne by the Hungarian Border. The Souslik population was enormously dense and by mid June a lot of half-grown juveniles hopped over the area and from time to time all members of a family came close together.
They were very cooperative and some of them even tolerated my camera, camouflaged with a magic hat close to their den. Unfortunately I spent only two days with them, but I was sure that during my mission in 2009, with more time I would get more marvellous shots there.
I was shocked instead, when I came back to the same spot this year. Intensive cattle grazing had left the ground barren, the sousliks had spread out in the surrounding meadows, and the protection of a dense colony was no longer given. And so they became easy prey to raptors and a straying domestic cat. All I could find were 7 adult animals; one pair had 3 surviving babies when I got there the first day. The following day also they were gone.
Nevertheless one morning a butterfly attracted the attention of a souslik peeking his head out of his den, right in front of my camera. Unfortunately the Souslik population in Slovakia is going down rapidly, but Stefan could show me another colony where I at least got some shots of the extremely cute babies. The activities in this colony were by far not as photogenic as in my 2008 colony.
Konrad Wothe / Wild Wonders of Europe
Please note that blogs reflect our photographers' opinions and not necessarily those of the directors of Wild Wonders of Europe.
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6 Responses to “Konrad Wothe – Slovakia”
By Fair Trade on Jul 9, 2009
How sad that the Sousliks seem to be a victim of more intensive farming.
That said the photo of the Souslik with the butterfly is one of the most beautiful pictures I’ve seen.
By Ricardo on Jul 10, 2009
Intensive farming is one of the main causes of the decline of most wildlife in Europe. There is no stopping the money making industry, the cheap food deals in the supermarkets the quick and easy destroy all.. And how difficult it is to make the common people realize that that everyday action of getting the ceap bargain is the responsible for such destruction and loss. When the birds will sing no more, the grass stops rustling with that rodent, the landscape becomes as grey as cement,.. only then we will feel the eternal loneliness..
By shalini on Jul 13, 2009
Souslik’s eyes are so innocent.. Praying to God to save this tiny creatures
By Phidelm on Jul 15, 2009
Since Rachel Carson’s ‘Silent Spring’ in the ’60s, it has been well-known that intensive farming is just as damaging to our environment as heavy industry. And STILL the destruction continues.
The pix are beautiful - and I agree with Fair Trade that the shot of the souslik peering at the butterfly is one of the best I’ve seen, too.
Thank you. And thank you, too, for drawing the attention of more and more people to what is happening.
By voucher codes on Sep 9, 2009
The pix are beautiful - and I agree with Fair Trade that the shot of the souslik peering at the butterfly is one of the best I’ve seen, too.
By Double Bedding · on Nov 10, 2010
actually, the best type of blog is the photoblog because pictures speak a thousand words ”