Fallow and red deer release to rewild Tarutino steppe

The animals were brought from northern Ukraine and released into a fenced area of more than thirty hectares to acclimatize to their new conditions. This group of fallow deer will enhance the previously introduced animals, laying the foundation for a stable population of the species in the region.

Fallow deer and red deer will play a vital role in restoring the natural balance of the steppe. Their natural grazing will help combat the encroachment of shrubs, prevent wildfires, and create favorable conditions for many plant and animal species in the steppe.

Grazing within the Tarutino steppe will reduce the overgrowth of shrubs. The animals will remain within the adaptation enclosure for a year, gradually adjusting to the new conditions and local nature.

“It is planned that by the end of autumn 2025, the fallow deer will be released into the wild, where they will continue their role in restoring the ecosystem of the Tarutino steppe,” says Oleksiy Pudovkin from Rewilding Ukraine.

The breeding season will start soon, which requires complete silence and calm for the animals. Therefore, they were transported to the steppe before this period.

“The fallow deer is quite undemanding to landscapes and inhabits open forests, forest-steppe, steppe, and more. It has natural habitats or was introduced by humans to many territories of Europe, America, and Africa. It easily adapts to semi-wild conditions and is actively bred in nurseries, from which it can then be released into the wild. We hope the fallow deer, which feeds on grass and leaves, will diversify natural grazing in the Tarutino steppe and complete food chains. In addition, this agile and graceful animal is an interesting object of observation for tourists,” says Oleg Dyakov, Rewilding officer at Rewilding Ukraine.

This initiative was made possible thanks to the financial support of the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme through Rewilding Europe.