Habitat at risk as Ukrainians crowd river to escape war
Desperately seeking respite from life in a war zone, families in Ukraine are flocking to the inland shores of the Tylihul. But authorities and some residents worry that the crowds could damage an important and delicate natural habitat there. - REUTERS
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00:00 With most of Ukraine's Black Sea coast either occupied by Russian troops or in their line of fire,
00:06 families seeking respite from a life in a war zone are flocking here, to the inland shores of the Tiliul.
00:12 But authorities and some residents worry that the crowds could damage an important and delicate natural habitat.
00:19 After the Krakowka Dam under the Dnipro River was blown up nearly two months ago,
00:24 the Kinburn Spit, a vast Black Sea nature reserve, was destroyed by flooding.
00:29 There was hope that birds could find refuge here instead.
00:33 Inna Timchenko is the deputy head of the Mikhailov Regional Department of the National Institute of Ecology.
00:39 The main problem here is not tourists themselves, but their cars and tents.
00:47 They are placed in chaotic order.
00:50 Tourists don't know where it is all right to leave a car and where it is not, so they park wherever they want.
00:55 That's how vegetation cover is being destroyed.
00:58 Noise affects the birds. They partially got used to the noise.
01:02 But loud noises are unusual for them this year.
01:05 They will lead to grave consequences in this area.
01:09 Local resident Petro Kalinchuk has been coming to the river with his family for nearly 50 years.
01:21 He said he used to see birds nesting and brooding eggs on the beach.
01:25 Now, with the larger crowds, he says all the birds are gone.
01:29 There are two sides to a coin.
01:31 On one hand, we understand that there is no access to the sea and people want to relax somewhere.
01:35 On the other hand, we know that the estuary won't survive such an amount of people.
01:39 First of all, garbage disposal wasn't organized and there are no toilets here.
01:43 Families soak up the sunshine with the front line only a few hours' drive away.
01:48 As long as the war goes on and with holiday spots limited,
01:51 they say they will keep coming, desperate for the relief of some respite.
01:55 [WHOOSH]