Wildlife photography in Belarus

Besides the rare birds that may also be interesting for wildlife photographers (see BIRDING IN BELARUS), one can take unique photos of wild animals in this country. Belarus is home for bears, 3 species of deer (the Red Deer (Cervus elaphus), Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus), and the introduced Sika Deer (Cervus nippon), wild boars (Sus scrofa), beavers, Eurasian badgers, and plenty of other mammal species. Being proud of its more than 50 national parks and wildlife reserves, Belarus is a country of a big variety of biotopes inhabited by more than 80 species of mammals, 340 species of birds, and many other living things.

What can I see there? Where and when?
Some destinations may be common for both birders and wildlife photographers. The choice of the reserves to visit also depends on the season you come: e.g. it would be an unforgivable mistake not to look at the floods of the Pripyat River and its tributaries in the spring (when the giant flocks of ruffs and other sandpipers stay there), and not to observe thousands of Gray cranes (Grus grus) in the Yelnya Bog in the autumn.
If you’re «hunting» some particular animal or bird, there’re two key factors: the season and the sanctuary. Thus, photographers who want to take photos of Brown Bears (Ursus arctos), you need to go to the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve in July-August.
One can take great pictures of European Bison (Bison bonasus) any season, but probably the best time would be fall and winter (from the second half of August till March). There are many places where one can «hunt» wild bison with a camera in Belarus: Kotra (Grodnenskaya Pushcha), Nalibokskaya Pushcha, Braslav Lakes, Nalibokskaya Pushcha, Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve, Paozyorie, Pripyatski National Park, Osypovichi forestry, Polessky State Radiation and Ecological Reserve, and in Belovezhskaya Pushcha.
The moose (Alces alces) is an ubiquities giant animal of Belarus – one can see it almost everywhere. It is easier to take photos of moose in September during the rut (mating season). The best "hunting" moment may be a frosty morning. In late autumn and early spring, moose go out to feed on winter crops, and in winter they stay in certain areas of the forest that are well known to the wildlife reserve experts.
In the spring period (April-May), you have the opportunity to observe the lek of the Eurasian Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) and the Black Grouse (Lyrurus tetrix). Today, the huge part of the European populations of those splendid birds lives on the territory of Belarus. One can take photos of their mating tournaments in Nalibokskaya Pushcha, Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve, Jada Bog, Paozyorie, Vydritza, Nacha-Elenka, and some other protected wildlife areas.
In Nalibokskaya Pushcha one can observe the reintroduced extinct wild horses – biologically they are very close to Equus ferus ferus (Equus gmelini).
Winter is the perfect season to take photos of the biggest eagles of Belarus – the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) and the White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla). Those magnificent birds can be pictured on a bait from a special ambush cabin in Paozyorie, Vigonoschansky, and Pripyatski National Park. But one who wants to take pictures of an Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) should do it from April till October: in some wildlife reserves there’re nesting areas of this fish-eating bird of prey.

How to tailor the right itinerary?
We offer 10-days tours for photographers (including the first and the last days). The group contains maximum of 4 «photo-hunters». Each tour includes 4 different wildlife reserves; we combine them so that visitors can see the maximum variety of biotopes – different swamps, forests, lakes, and river floodplains.
For example, a logical itinerary would be Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve (a combination of all biotopes of Belarus) – Soorajsky (the combination of forest hills with lakes and swamps) – Kozyansky (different types of wetlands) – Narochansky national park (big lakes).
Or Nalibokskaya Pushcha (the giant woodland) – Vigonoschansky (big lakes and swamps of all types) - Pripyatski National Park (the Pripyat River floodplain with unique oak groves, and the places of very high concentration of different migratory birds in spring – Turov Meadow and Lyaskovichi) - Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve.
Or Nalibokskaya Pushcha – Braslav Lakes – Yelnya (the greatest bog of Belarus) – Paozyorie (a big uninhabited island on giant Osveysky Lake, and «Krasny Bor» - one of the best areas to take photos of the ungulate animals of Belarus.).
But of course, we can discuss the final route and your preferences. E.g. many people are interested in «wildlife in general», and like to combine birding with observations of other living creatures. It’s very available – just let us know your preferences.
Your trip can also include the 5-th sanctuary – the Polessky State Radiation and Ecological Reserve (PSRER), also known as «the Dead Zone of Chernobyl». Here you’ll have a unique opportunity to picture the Przewalski’s Horse (Equus przewalskii) in the wild. PSRER is also rich in «ordinary» animals: moose, deer, badgers (Meles meles), wolves, and others.
Of course, if you plan to stay longer, or want to have your own individually tailored tour – we’re ready to discuss it.

Important details
All our tours are «all-included» ones. This means that since you arrive in Belarus it’s our job to pick you up at the airport or from the railway station and to transfer you to the eco-lodge (rural hotel) which will be your formal «home» in Belarus. Early next morning the 8-day «Belarusian circumnavigation» to the wildlife reserves will start. Of course, it includes all necessary transfers, a Russian-English interpreter, entrance fees, professional guides from the national parks and wildlife reserves, accommodation in comfortable 2-bed rooms of local hotels or eco-lodges, and delicious meals 3 times a day. When this 8-days round trip is over, we’ll bring you back to the «home» eco-lodge, and have a farewell dinner. The next last day after breakfast (or lunch – depending on the time of your departure flight) we’ll bring you to the airport or railway station. If you have some extra hours on the last day between breakfast and lunch (let’s say, your flight is late in the evening), we can arrange a «local» trip for you right from the eco-lodge you stay at - to show you the daily life of rural Belarus.

The price of a 10-day tour is $ 1845 (with accommodation in a double room). This tour is priced in USD. If the tour includes a 1-day trip to «the Dead Zone of Chernobyl», the price is $ 1915.

If you want to know more about the Belarusian protected areas and the wildlife, you can download the book «Belarus – birding and wildlife adventures» together with a detailed ecological map of this country by this link.