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Which animals are native to Poland?


ilmc  4 | 136
25 Oct 2012   #1
just curious, which species of animals call poland home and which ones do you see a lot :)
Wroclaw Boy
25 Oct 2012   #2
Ive seen deer almost on a daily basis in winter time in my back garden. Ive seen wild boars, a wolf (not in my back garden), lots of birds of prey, one dispatched a neighbors chicken last year. As well as the usual more common moles, hedgehogs, foxes, common birds etc.. Don't think ive ever seen a badger.

Ticks have to be one of the most disgusting of animals and ive probably pulled around 10 off my cat and dog over the years.

Ohh and hornets lots of hornets, you know when you have one of those in the house they just sound like they mean business.
OP ilmc  4 | 136
25 Oct 2012   #3
hmm sounds similar to here... any beavers?

does poland have a national animal?
boletus  30 | 1356
25 Oct 2012   #4
kozica - a chamois, a Tatra mountains goat (770 in 2008)
niedżwiedż - a brown bear (150)
wilk - a wolf (about 500-640)
ryś - a linx (280)
żbik - a wildcat (200)
bóbr - a beaver (6235 in 2007, reintroduced from Belarus, 108 in 1958)
żubr - a wisent, a wood buffalo (4230)

dzik - a wild boar (244,000)
łoś - a moose (6,480)
jeleń - a red deer, but known here as an elk (160,000)
sarna - deer (760,000)
daniel - a fallow-deer (19,600)
lis - a fox (about 200,000)
zając - a hare (530,000)
bażant - a pheasant (412,000)
kuropatwa - a partridge (408,000)
smurf  38 | 1940
25 Oct 2012   #5
does poland have a national animal?

stork.....even though there's an eagle on the flag
SeanBM  34 | 5781
25 Oct 2012   #6
polishforums.com/travel-tourism-5/polish-wildlife-similar-wild-life-live-31221/

polish.wild life us
Wroclaw Boy
25 Oct 2012   #7
Ive posted this before and then lost the image till i found it recently lurking on a back up drive.

there were some mice living in the back of my fridge climbing on top of it stealing paluski, so i laid a trap and hey presto:


  • the last supper
OP ilmc  4 | 136
25 Oct 2012   #8
oh poor mice :(
Kowalski  7 | 621
25 Oct 2012   #9
dzik - a wild boar (244,000)

not so wild anymore
boletus  30 | 1356
26 Oct 2012   #10
Ok, so they are the brazen wild hogs; coming illegally from Germany. :-)

Of course, the 244,000 number I gave (the estimated recent population) is only part of the picture. Another number would be the population growth, which is quite big.

Referring to your article, here is another one (in Polish), from the same locality, Świnoujście, as of 2012-10-09:

Authorities of Świnoujście (West Pomeranian Voivodship) plan culling about 60 wild boars, which feed downtown, in November/December this year. Those are part of the heards, which are made of 300 or so pigs, prowling in the buffer zone of Wolin National Park and German Naturpark Insel Usedom.
OP ilmc  4 | 136
26 Oct 2012   #11
why the stork? I would have guessed the eagle had i had to guess because the boyfriend has polish eagles all over my house and has even tattoed one on his neck perhaps i should suggest he should have gotten a stork.
Rysavy  10 | 306
26 Oct 2012   #12
Heh Storks..! My BF says they are lucky. I had a dream that our chimney collapsed because of Roc's nest. He got excited and said it was a stork's nest and lucky. Um.okay

I saw some up close in germany visiting family when I was little..they are kinda scary! No ...are scary

Those piggies make me think of javelina the way the little ones are colored. Ive hunted pig in Texas and Sonoma Co. CA
THIS is what I see in my mind when I hear "wild pig"
OP ilmc  4 | 136
26 Oct 2012   #13
but if they caused ur chimney to collapse would that not make them directly unlucky?
Rysavy  10 | 306
26 Oct 2012   #14
heh I would think so... not how it works I guess. (He got all embarrassed over it when I asked what luck they bring anyway so I didn't press)

Not mention if those big ugly monsters were in the house afterwords (maybe polish storks are diffrent?).
Still a huge nest on one house must be a pain in some way. But if they are lucky ..well they can join my rosemary sprigs, horseshoes over door, rabbit foot in left pocket (poor rabbit didnt find it lucky -I know), a corner spider, cricket in comon room and a blue door. ^_^

If he thinks it, I will indulge.....
OP ilmc  4 | 136
26 Oct 2012   #15
good girlfriend aren't you lol. Probably has something to do with storks being associated with bringing of children maybe he thinks it means you are exceptionally fertile.
Rysavy  10 | 306
26 Oct 2012   #16
MMm.. "good"..that may be in the eye of beholder..... more like indulgent and accomodating , specially in small stuff

Now back to critter talk... I saw posted somewhere on here absolutely ADORABLE red squirrels. I loved my pet squirrels when I had one. Even had one in my house recent for nearly amonth before I could catch him and throw hin out...a baby one. I as sooo tempted but my son is a bit rough for wee pets.

And wood buffalo? Native?

Wasn't Poland the last country to have living Aurochs in modern day ?
boletus  30 | 1356
26 Oct 2012   #17
And wood buffalo? Native?

The European bison have been always under the protection of Polish Kings, and later of Russian Tsars - but also under constant pressure from poachers. In 1914, there were 727 bisons in Białowieża Forest. However, none was left in 1919, due to hunting by withdrawing German armies, Russian partizans, and poachers. In early 1920s twelve pure blood animals from international ZOOs were selected for reintroduction and by 1939 16 bisons lived in Białowieża Forest. They survived the war and in 1950s they were supplemented by a Soviet stock.

żubr - a wisent, a wood buffalo (4230)

Ouch, that's the world's population of żubr a.k.a. European bison, wood bison, as of 2009. The correct numbers are attached below.

World-wide, as of 2009 (other source):
4300 total
2787 in free-ranging populations (66%)
1144 in breeding centers and zoos (34% world population)

World-wide, free-ranging herds:
Ukraine - 6 populations, 222
Poland - 5 populations, 991 (Białowieska Forest - 473)
Belarus - 9 populations, 937
Russia - 10 populations, 414
Lithuania - 1 population, 61
Slovakia - 1 population, 9

Poland: total 1235, as of 2011
Free-ranging herds: 1041
.... Bieszczady - 277 (a mixture of Caucasian and Białowieża bisons)
.... Białowieska Forest - 481
.... Borecka Forest - 91
.... Knyszyńska Forest - 103
.... West Pomeranian herd - 89
Enclosed herds: 194
.... Breeding centers - 111
.... ZOOs - 24
.... Centre of Forest Culture in Gołuchów - 9
.... City parks - 11
.... Provincial parks - 39

Wasn't Poland the last country to have living Aurochs in modern day ?

The last one, a female, died in 1627 in the Jaktorów Forest, Poland, central Poland.
Its skull was later taken by the Swedish Army during the Swedish invasion of Poland (1655-1660) and is now the property of Livrustkammaren in Stockholm.

kozica - a chamois, a Tatra mountains goat (770 in 2008)

According to the latest fall population count, the number of Tatra mountains goats on both sides of the Polish-Slovakian border is record high - 1096: 810 in Slovakia and 286 in Poland; including 134 and 43 young goats, correspondingly. This is 24 more than the previous record high from the year 1964.

The lowest count was in 1999 - only 241 goats. The count of goats steadily increases in the recent years:
2010 - 841
2011 - 929
2012 - 1096
Counting the Tatra chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) takes place twice a year: in spring and autumn. It is organized since 1954, and together with the Slovaks since 1957. Chamois is a symbol of both Polish and Slovak Tatra National Park. It is a protected species, although it happens that the poachers hunt these animals.
Rysavy  10 | 306
5 Nov 2012   #18
What reptiles are common?
Are any poisonous... ?
What posionous insects are there (like fire ants, Recluse, Black Widow)
enkidu  6 | 611
5 Nov 2012   #19
Rysavy
Reptiles? Not many. The climate is mostly too cold for them to survive winter.
There is one specie of poisonous serpent (żmija zygzakowata) - but its extremely rare and not even deadly...
No black widows... lol or other poisonous critters.
Honeybee sting is the worst thing you can realistically expect in Poland.
boletus  30 | 1356
5 Nov 2012   #20
What reptiles are common?

There are some reptiles in Poland: European pond turtles, slowworm, several kinds of lizards, several types of snakes, and one viper.
There are bunch of amphibians: frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and "rzechotki" - the tree frogs.

Are any poisonous... ?

There is only one in Poland from the viper family, vipera berus, with characteristic zig-zag, but sometimes not visible, and all sorts of colours. It appears across most of Europe, with the exception of southern Europe: France, Iberian peninsula, Italy, Greece and ... Ireland.

What posionous insects are there (like fire ants, Recluse, Black Widow)

There are some bad insects in Poland: fire ants (mrówki ogniste, red ants), black widow (several were imported recently), no recluse. Then there is a bee, a wasp, a hornet, a bumblebee, European mole cricket (turkuć podjadek), black fly, mosquito, gadfly, tick, louse and flea. And if you are allergic, you are in a trouble.
Rysavy  10 | 306
5 Nov 2012   #21
Then there is a wasp, a hornet. And if you are allergic, you are in a trouble.

In insects; I only have true allergy to small sub-hornets called yellow jackets.I can't remember the species anymore.They are small and have nests in alcoves .often in trees or house eaves. and are pretty angry

Wasn't Poland the last country to have living Aurochs in modern day ?

Wonder why it doesnt come with normal search? Hmmm ..but Poland was one of first nations to make wildlife preserves....even if for a kings hunting pleasure they still wished the species remaining
Paulina  16 | 4353
3 Mar 2013   #22
even if for a kings hunting pleasure they still wished the species remaining

At some point they even stopped hunting them and special "foresters" were appointed to take care of aurochs and protect them from poachers, the peasants were forbidden to cut grass and let their cows graze where aurochs were grazing.
johnny reb  48 | 7984
29 Dec 2018   #23
Are you allowed to keep your road kill in Poland to eat ?
(Deer, hogs, etc.)

This video taken in Poland takes a full minute to load so be patient.

ebaumsworld.com/videos/deer-jumps-over-car-moving-at-full-speed/85820890
Dougpol1  29 | 2497
29 Dec 2018   #24
road kill in Poland to eat

Alright johnny. Road kill? I like children, but I couldn't eat a whole one.
MoOli  9 | 479
29 Dec 2018   #25
Are you allowed to keep your road kill in Poland to eat ?

I do know someone who did,wonder if its legal though.

Road kill? I like children, but I couldn't eat a whole one.

Another dumbass anti Polish comment by an overage underachieved expat in Poland.
johnny reb  48 | 7984
29 Dec 2018   #26
wonder if its legal though.

That was my question Mo.
Guess there are no native Poles that know the answer.
Seeing the video of that beautiful venison almost buying the farm my first thought was if it had become a hood ornament if the driver would have been allowed to keep the dead deer to butcher.

Here in the great U.S.A. where I live you are allowed to keep the deer but are required to get a permit for it.

Hell my buddies here put their snow plows on their truck two months before the first snow fall so they don't ruin their trucks while putting venison on their freezers for the winter.
MoOli  9 | 479
29 Dec 2018   #27
A permit???you are kidding,here in NJ we just slit the throat or shoot the deer(if you have a firearm) and load it in your truck if its still in driving condition and also no need to call the cops for accident report for insurance purposes.Someone I know just went to the police station and filed the report of being hit by a deer and all was good before going to the butcher shop just incase.

BTW I use whistle deer from Walmart for 6$ on all my vehicles.
dolnoslask  5 | 2807
29 Dec 2018   #28
I use whistle deer from Walmart

Does that work on wild boar, I have first hand experience, wild boar 1 car 0 write off
MoOli  9 | 479
29 Dec 2018   #29
That's the one for you dolno
boomblasters.com/product/wild-boar-sounds-car-horn/
pawian  221 | 26014
16 Sep 2021   #30
A native Polish swan felt sick and decided to rest on a highway, blocking one lane. The police Animal Patrol took it to hospital.


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