Have squirrels and sparrows really disappeared in Kyiv?: Kyiv City State Administration Environmental Protection Department
Photo: "TyKyiv"/Olga Kononenko
Environmental activists are sounding the alarm: sparrows and squirrels have practically disappeared from Kyiv's forests and parks. But is this really true? But the Kyiv City State Administration assures that there is no reason to panic.
Last fall, the Kyiv Ecological and Cultural Center claimed that the number of sparrows in the capital had dropped 50 times. And now the same public organization has reported that, following the sparrows, squirrels have also almost disappeared from city parks. Their population, according to ecologists, has dropped 20 times or more.
The reason for the disappearance of animals and birds from city parks, according to the KECC, is the "glamorization" of Kyiv's parks. In particular, the cutting down of old hollow trees, without which squirrels and sparrows cannot find places to nest and reproduce. Activists also claim that municipal workers are in no hurry to place artificial houses for squirrels and birds in parks, which would help in this situation.
The development of green areas, the glamorization of parks, and global haymaking are all examples of the blatant anti-ecological policy that has been pursued in Kyiv for many years, activists say, calling such a policy "ecocide."
What do utility workers say?
When asked, "Have squirrels and sparrows really disappeared in Kyiv?", the Department of Environmental Protection and Climate Change Adaptation of the Kyiv City State Administration hastened to state that of course not. According to them, this can be confirmed by "anyone who regularly visits the city's parks and squares." And the KECC is spreading false information without any basis, "without relying on any scientific research."
The Kyiv City State Administration adds that for several years now, nature-oriented solutions have been implemented in the capital's parks, squares, and urban forests, which, on the contrary, contribute to the development of biodiversity.
What exactly do they do:
- Fragments of dead wood are left in some locations. This is necessary for the development of biodiversity and the creation of natural conditions for the existence of various species of flora and fauna. Dead wood supports the life cycle of many species of insects, fungi, microorganisms, and is also a "dining room" for tits, woodpeckers and other birds.
- The number of areas without mowing grass is increasing. In 2024, the total area of these areas was over 140 hectares, and the area of areas sown with a mixture of ornamental meadow grasses was 5.3 hectares. Also, during periods of particularly high temperatures in the summer, the capital's municipal workers generally refuse to mow grass in green areas in order to protect the lawn from damage and preserve the ecosystem.
- Bird feeders are being installed in parks. In December 2024, landscapers installed 300 new bird feeders, and in early February 2025, the same number of birdhouses in city forests . Also, every year, employees of Kyiv forest parks equip and update feeders for wild animals. This winter, they equipped 40 feeders, prepared almost 2,000 fodder brooms and hay, and installed 24 salt pans for mineral feeding of elk and roe deer.
Where in Kyiv can you see squirrels?
The Department of Environmental Protection says that you can see and even feed the capital's squirrels with nuts in many green areas of the city. In particular, they live in the following parks:
- Holosiivskyi district: Maksym Rylskyi Park;
- Darnytskyi district: Partisan Glory Park;
- Desnyanskyi district: Muromets Park and a park with water features along Roman Shukhevych Avenue;
- Dniprovsky district: "Peremoha" park;
- Obolonsky district: "Pushcha-Vodytsia" park and "Natalka" park;
- Pechersk district: Navodnytsky Park, Pechersk Landscape Park and Askold's Tomb;
- Podolsky district: "Kyn-Grust" park, Starokyivskyi Gora (Landscape Alley), Artists' Alley, "Syretskyi Hay" park and "Berezovy Hay" park.
- Svyatoshynskyi district: "Sovky" park, a square between Hetman Kyrylo Rozumovsky and Myroslav Popovych streets and Revutskyi square;
- Solomyanskyi district: "Vidradny" park, Solomyanskyi landscape park, "Suputnyk" park, "Yunist" park and Mykola Zerov park;
- Shevchenkivskyi district: "Nyvky" park and "Syretsky" park.
