Dzikie chomiki w Wiedniu
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Declared the European Hamster as ‘critically endangered’
VIENNA THE CUTEST wild European hamsters were photographed scurrying on the grounds of Vienna Central Cemetery on August 3.
European hamsters are small mammals quirkily seen in certain places in Vienna.
They have an underground network of tunnels and thrive on candle wax, fresh flowers left by mourners around the graveyard, and berries that fall from the yew trees.
In 2020, the IUCN declared the European Hamster as ‘critically endangered’ due to the population declines caused by lower reproduction rates.
The reason for this is still not clear, but without conservation measures, European hamsters are expected to go extinct in the next 30 years, according to the IUCN.
These unique and rare images were captured by Tracey Lund, a British wildlife photographer.
“As a professional wildlife photographer, I am always looking for something different, and for my 50th birthday, I decided I would head to the city of Vienna in search of these little cuties,” she told mediadrumworld.com.
“Family and friends thought I was a little crazy spending my birthday in the Central Cemetery, but I have to say I had a great day photographing the hamsters in their unusual environment.
“Over the few days that I spent in Vienna, I visited a couple of different cemeteries in search of hamsters, and I was not disappointed.
“You didn’t have to walk far before you spotted them scurrying around in search of food. It was a case of sitting and laying down on the ground and being patient.”
ENDs
2024-08-04
Mediadrumimages/Tracey Lund/Media Drum/East News
Media Drum
Mediadrumimages/Tracey Lund
h_MDRUM_Hamsters_of_Vienna-6
2,07MB
27cm x 19cm by 300dpi
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