By Decision No. 52/2023 of the President of the Polish Academy of Sciences, dated October 31, 2023, on the transfer of real estate for management to an entity operating under the name of the Polish Academy of Sciences Botanical Garden - Center for the Preservation of Biological Diversity in Powsin, our Garden has, since November 1, 2023, supervised the property in Kosewo Górne, in part owned by the Institute of Parasitology in liquidation, and in part owned by the Polish Academy of Sciences. Work is underway to transfer the entire property to the PAN Botanical Garden in Powsin once the Institute's liquidation is complete and the Academy takes over the land.

With the entrustment of these assets into our hands come numerous new tasks, many of which require additional efforts by the PAN Botanical Garden team.

Characterizing the property transferred to the Garden, it should be noted that in addition to about 500 hectares of land, including 130 hectares of fenced areas, deer herds of three species are transferred: red deer, fallow deer and eastern deer (a species considered invasive). In total, these herds number about 500 individuals. Unfortunately, the Garden has not received an inventory of livestock (individuals bred at the Station for more than a year) or current assets in the form of live animals (animals less than a year old for sale). In addition, PAN Botanical Garden receives a flock of about 30 sheep.

According to the recommendations of the President of the Academy and the Chancellor, in the next few years the herd should be systematically reduced to a level that will still allow educational activities. According to us, this means leaving about 60 head of red deer (native). The reduction of the herd will not be carried out by selling the animals for slaughter, contrary to emerging rumors. The animals will be transferred first to Animal Breeding Centers (OHZs) belonging to the State Forests and sold to other private breeding centers. The recommendation is that none of the deer go directly to slaughter. However, this does not mean that these animals will not be slaughtered at some point. Generally, this is the main goal of deer breeding farms. We want, as PAN Botanical Garden, to move away from this and to give more emphasis to the area's other excellent natural assets.

Why are deer bred in captivity?

There are three main reasons:

• The first is breeding for sale to other farms for further breeding, for meat, for antlers and/or hides;
• The second is recreational and educational activities and allowing, mainly young people and tourists with children, to see whole herds of deer up close in semi-natural conditions in large enclosures;
• third - scientific activities carried out to better understand the biology of animals (reproduction, nutrition, behavior, diseases, their control or prevention), as well as to increase knowledge of the process of their breeding for commercial purposes.

At the Kosew Research Station, all three tasks have been carried out so far. At the same time, according to information received from Dr. Eng. Marek Bogdaszewski, only meat and antlers were used from the animals, not hides, as the last tannery in the area closed more than 10 years ago.

Why was the Station abolished?

Despite the efforts of the Station's staff and despite the improvement of the research efficiency of the Institute of Parasitology, over the past several years it has systematically received negative ratings in terms of research performance (Category C). And since the Research Station was part of the Institute, like the Institute itself it too was slated for liquidation (such is the fate that befalls all weak research institutes in the Academy).

The station has not had any research grants in recent years, which, on the one hand, may indicate a low commitment on the part of the staff to raising external funds for research, and on the other, if such attempts have been made, a lack of interest in this type of research or a lack of ability to formulate interesting research topics.

Recently, two implementation projects have been carried out on the initiative of the Station's staff on:

• Improving methods of farm game production and
• enriching tree and shrub plantings in the vicinity of agricultural fields (various species of willow) to protect crops from deer damage.

Among other things, the projects included the construction of a farm slaughterhouse and the purchase of a feed mixer and pelletizer for pelletizing feed. The abattoir was to be used to improve methods of killing deer at the Kosewa farm. Until now, the animals had been hung by the legs on a hook near the trapping room and bled and eviscerated there. However, this method did not meet sanitary requirements or veterinary standards and was improved under the project. Now, thanks to the efforts of the Station's management, animals can be killed and eviscerated under more hygienic conditions. What's more, half carcasses can be refrigerated and safely further transported to processing plants throughout Poland. As a result, amateurs of wild game can have easier access to it. The feed mixing plant is to be used for research on better feed mixtures to improve the quality of farm animals regarding healthiness, accelerating growth, reducing collapses, etc., and ultimately increasing the profitability of their breeding.

Currently, one of the most important problems facing the Station is the implementation of a system for tagging deer from commercial farms. Such an obligation was imposed on deer farmers by the law, which is an implementation of EU law. The implementation has encountered problems because the Ministry has not to this day established an ear tag pattern that would be safe for deer, visible to breeders, veterinarians, buyers and, last but not least, to those carrying out the slaughter of animals. Without such a marking, animals are basically not allowed to leave the breeding site, and consequently cannot be sold. Therefore, the herd cannot formally be liquidated in any way in the near future.

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We encourage you to read the article of the Polish Press Agency "PAN: deer breeding in Kosewo was not for scientific purposes"., in which PAS President Professor Marek Konarzewski explains the circumstances surrounding the transformation of the Kosewo facility into an agroecological station.