Simona Kossak (1943–2007) was a Polish biologist, ecologist and professor of forest sciences. She is known for her efforts to preserve the remnants of natural ecosystems in Poland, and her research covered, among other topics, the behavioral ecology of mammals. She sometimes described herself as a "zoo-psychologist." Kossak worked for much of her career in the Białowieża Forest, where she became a prominent advocate for nature protection.
Education and career
Kossak was born in Kraków during the Second World War, when the city was under German occupation. She earned a degree in biology in 1976. In 1980 she received a doctorate in forest sciences, and in 1991 a postdoctoral degree in the same field, both based on research into the feeding behavior of roe deer. In 1997 she was granted the academic title of professor of forest sciences. She worked at the Mammal Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences and at the Forest Research Institute, where she directed the Department of Natural Forests from 2003 until her death.
Work and recognition
Kossak was one of the originators of the UOZ-1 repeller, a device that warns wild animals of approaching trains. She was known for her uncompromising views and actions in defense of nature, especially in the Białowieża Forest, where she lived for more than 30 years. In October 2000 she was awarded the Golden Cross of Merit. Her life was later the subject of a 2024 biographical drama film directed by Adrian Panek.