In a bid to save an endangered species of wild hamster from being killed by cars, new signposts have appeared in southeast Poland urging drivers to ‘slow down.’
Billed as being ‘unique,’ the signs showing a large exclamation mark above the words “Slow down hamsters,” were installed on a section of road particularly prone to hamster casualties near the town of Szczebrzeszyn in the country’s Lublin region.
“These are the first signs of their kind,” said Małgorzata Bielecka, head of the Zamość branch of the Lublin Landscape Parks Group (ZLPK).
“If the response is positive, more could follow,” she added.
The initiative is part of a broader effort by the ZLPK to protect the critically endangered hamster species whose numbers have drastically dwindled across Europe.
Paweł Łapiński, director of ZLPK said, “We’re fortunate that the Lublin region still harbors significant populations of European hamsters.”
But, he added: “It’s unfortunate that many people first encounter a hamster when it’s already dead on the road.”
European hamsters, which are about the size of a Guinea pig, are solitary and elusive creatures, with each burrow housing only one animal.
In a recent survey conducted by ZLPK in Szczebrzeszyn Landscape Park, staff identified 58 hamster burrows.
But despite their relatively large numbers in Lublin and some neighboring regions, the European hamster's range has shrunk by 75% since the 1980s due to urban expansion, farming practices, and predation.
This rodent is an “umbrella species,” meaning that its presence helps safeguard various other species and plays a key role in sustaining local biodiversity.
“These are the first signs of their kind,” said Małgorzata Bielecka, head of the Zamość branch of the Lublin Landscape Parks Group (ZLPK).
“If the response is positive, more could follow,” she added.
The initiative is part of a broader effort by the ZLPK to protect the critically endangered hamster species whose numbers have drastically dwindled across Europe.
Paweł Łapiński, director of ZLPK said, “We’re fortunate that the Lublin region still harbors significant populations of European hamsters.”
But, he added: “It’s unfortunate that many people first encounter a hamster when it’s already dead on the road.”
European hamsters, which are about the size of a Guinea pig, are solitary and elusive creatures, with each burrow housing only one animal.
In a recent survey conducted by ZLPK in Szczebrzeszyn Landscape Park, staff identified 58 hamster burrows.
But despite their relatively large numbers in Lublin and some neighboring regions, the European hamster's range has shrunk by 75% since the 1980s due to urban expansion, farming practices, and predation.
This rodent is an “umbrella species,” meaning that its presence helps safeguard various other species and plays a key role in sustaining local biodiversity.
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