Wild Boar - Belarus

The Białowieża Forest straddles the border of Poland and Belarus. It is one of the largest remaining tracts of primeval forest left in Europe. The forest area is about 2,000 square kilometers; most of the area is located in Belarus. Both countries have included large portions of the Białowieża Forest within their national park system.

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Sus scrofa - The wild boar is the ancestor of the domesticated pig and is native to Europe and Asia. It is a sturdy animal, compact in design, with a large head and short legs. The coat has an inner layer of fine fur and an outer layer of stiff bristles. Adult males use their tusks as weapons against predators or other males when battling for females. The females also have enlarged canines, but they do not protrude from the mouth. Boars have a pre-nasal bone at the tip of their snout; it is used as a shovel when digging up roots, tubers or bulbs.

Hawfinch - Belarus

Coccothraustes coccothraustes - The hawfinch is found throughout Europe and Asia. European populations are resident; Asian populations migrate to Southeastern Asia. Hawfinches have stout necks and robust beaks with a  distinctive metallic shine. Males are slightly larger than females and their plumage is brighter. The beak comes in handy for a diet consisting primarily of hard seeds taken from trees or various fruit. It will occasionally feed on insects and the softer pulp of fruit.

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The Principality of Polotsk was the earliest known state to exist in the present day area of Belarus. Polotsk came under the domination of the Kievan Rus' state in the 11th century. The disruption of the Mongol invasion in the 13th century resulted in the sacking of Kiev and allowed an expanding Lithuania to absorb the splintered fragments. Belarus remained part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the subsequent Polish-Lithuanian Union until 1795; it was then absorbed into Russia’s orbit until 1990.

European Heraldry - The Bison

The European bison is the heaviest European herbivore. A mature adult is 2 to 3.5 meters in length, stands 1.5 to 2 meters tall, and can weigh as much as 900 kilos. Their native range covered most of the cooler regions in Europe and extended into the Caucasus Mountains. Deciduous and mixed forests were ideal habitats. The European bison is a browser and the American bison is a grazer. Browsers primarily feed on leaves, shoots, and fruit; grazers rely more on grass. Several European cities have used the bison in their local coat of arms. Svislach is a town in Belarus, Perloja is in Lithuania, and Żywiec is located in Poland.