Driving Water into the Forest at 35 Degrees
Due to unprecedented heat and drought, members of the Jastreb Hunting Society fill watering holes and feeding sites daily, and encounters with animals have become almost intimate.
Due to unprecedented heat and drought, members of the Jastreb Hunting Society fill watering holes and feeding sites daily, and encounters with animals have become almost intimate.
While the thermometer reads 35 degrees Celsius, the only sound echoing through the forests of Osijek is the splashing of water from tanks. Hunters from the Jastreb Hunting Society, operating in the areas of Josipovac, Višnjevac, Petrijevci, and Retfala, have turned into delivery drivers of the most precious liquid. Due to extreme temperatures and drought that have dried up natural waterways, water has become the biggest problem for wildlife, and they have decided not to turn their backs on them.
Before every trip into the hunting ground, the routine is strict and unavoidable. "Disinfection is done twice, on entry and exit from the hunting ground. It is an obligation for every hunter participating in any activity in the forest," explains Goran Devetak, chief gamekeeper of the Jastreb Hunting Society, Josipovac-Višnjevac-Retfala. It is a precautionary measure due to the constant threat of African swine fever, so car tires and footwear are carefully sprayed.
Once past that barrier, the real mission begins. Tanks full of water head deep into the forest, to places where natural watering holes have completely dried up. "Even food isn't as big a problem as water. Wildlife can always find food, but water, that's hard," Devetak emphasizes. That's why artificial watering holes are now the only source of drinking water for roe deer, hares, and other wildlife.
The animals have quickly learned the rhythm of their helpers. They usually come to the watering holes at night or early in the morning, but face-to-face encounters are not rare either. Borislav Smiljan, a member of the Jastreb Hunting Society, Josipovac-Petrijevci-Retfala, describes almost cinematic scenes: "Wildlife stops and watches, watches what you're doing, especially if you constantly bring water to the same spot. They've gotten used to you coming, and then they just stand and watch."
Smiljan, one of the older members, emphasizes that he doesn't remember anything like this. "I'm one of the older hunters in this society, and I don't remember such astronomical heat. This is truly a natural disaster for the wildlife," he said. They leave food at the feeding sites and also place mineral salt on trees, helping the animals in every possible way.
For game warden Siniša Husar, this is not just a duty but a passion. "It's love for animals, for nature, and we all give our maximum. Especially now, in these conditions, we have to do everything we can to preserve the little wildlife we have left," Husar says. His words are echoed by the society's president, Dubravko Brdar, who is aware of the severity of the situation: "It's hard for them, yes, you can see how it is, the heat inside the forest is oppressive, they struggle with it, so we help them as much as we can."
Goran Devetak adds that they are in the forest every day, caring not only for wildlife but for the entire hunting ground. The effects of the drought are visible on vegetation, and the life-saving rain is still nowhere to be seen. "It would be worth its weight in gold, but it's still not here. We hope it will come, and until it does, we'll continue with our supplementary feeding and bringing water," Smiljan concludes. While a drop of water in the forest truly means life, these hunters are showing its real value through their actions.
