Traditions of coexistence in the Ukrainian Carpathians: puga-whip

Shepherds in the mountain meadows have long used handy methods to scare away carnivores. One of them is a special whip - a puga or a korbach.
The secret of the puga is that it makes a sound similar to a shot from a rifle - sharp and loud when it claps. The tool is not large and not heavy, and you may take it everywhere. Shepherds made it from leather and the handle from a tree. It can still be found in the Carpathians, and people use puga for its intended purpose. A small whip gives confidence to shepherds when they are high in the meadow and does not harm wild animals that hear its sound-shot from afar and do not approach.
Generations in the Ukrainian Carpathians have preserved how to live and farm near wildlife. Locals still use traditional methods of protecting farms from wild animals. But each of them has its disadvantages and requires more participation of the shepherd. They often combined them for greater efficiency.
Ancient traditions contribute to locals' confidence in modern tools, such as electric fences. As a result, they become as familiar to farmers as they used to be.
In 2018-21, WWF-Ukraine distributed 29 sets of electric fences to protect farms and apiaries in the Carpathians. The Fund's experts also conducted a series of training events on the possibilities of coexistence tools and conflict prevention for farmers and stakeholders.
The coexistence between people and large carnivores in the Ukrainian Carpathians is possible!
The video was created by WWF-Ukraine within the LIFE EuroLargeCarnivores project.
[Geolocation: Dubovyi Kut, Novy Mizun village, Zakarpattia region, Ukraine]