Bison reproduction center, Beregomet

The bison population is being restored in Bukovyna. An environmental education and research center for the restoration of the bison population operates in the village of Berehomet. Its main task is to raise young bison for release into the wild to spread the species in Bukovyna. These animals are currently on the verge of extinction and are listed in the Red Data Book.

The first to settle in the center was a male bison weighing about 800 kg, which was bought in the village of Khmilnyk, Vinnytsia oblast. Later, a female was also purchased here. They were named Lyutyi and Marta. However, now only Marta is left here, as Liutii died two months ago from an illness. It is currently unknown when the ecological and educational center will get a new male, as the issue rests on the lack of appropriate funding.

The bison lives in a 1.6-hectare enclosure, which is fenced with a two-meter-high fence. In the future, they plan to purchase at least 10-15 animals that will live in an 80-100 hectare enclosure. They plan to release the bison into the wild approximately in 2020.

Preservation of the bison population, which is in a catastrophic decline in Ukraine, is one of the priorities of local authorities. Experts have developed a program aimed at protecting bison from poachers and increasing their numbers. Previously, the Carpathians were home to a large population of bison, but by 1923 they were exterminated.

Openinghours: The ecological and educational center for the reproduction of the bison population is open to visitors from Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 18:00.

By prior arrangement, the center's staff also conducts excursions on weekends. The cost of the tour is 5 UAH for a child ticket and 10 UAH for an adult ticket.

You can get here by your own car or by regular buses from Chernivtsi.

Berehomet is an urban-type settlement. The Seret River flows through the village. There is a mountain called Stizhok near the river. According to one theory, the name Berehomet comes from the German word Berg (mountain). According to another version, the name Berehomet comes from the fact that the Seret River "throws its banks".

Berehomet has several monuments associated with the life of the noble Vasylko family (Mykola Vasylko, a politician who devoted most of his life to defending the rights of Ukrainians in the Austrian Empire). The most striking building, the Vasylkiv Castle, which existed in the early twentieth century, has not been preserved in its original form. At 12 Tsentralna Street, the former summer residence of the Vasylko family (now the village hospital) has been preserved. In 1890, Mykola Vasylko founded the Berehomet Arboretum. It covers an area of 1 hectare and is home to 54 species of trees and shrubs. The pearl of the park is two golden larch trees.

Today, the population of the village is 7741 people.