In October Djibouti hosted the International Conference "Climate Change and Research: Towards Adaptation and Sustainable Development". The conference is dedicated to global warming, in particular in Djibouti and neighboring countries. The IEE RAS delegation was represented by the head of V.N. Sukachev laboratory of biogeocenology Kurbatova Yulia Alexandrovna, Senior Researcher Varlagin Andrei Viktorovich and chief specialist of the Tropical Department, head of the Joint Russian-Ethiopian biological expedition Terekhin E.E. As part of the panel discussion, Yulia Alexandrovna Kurbatova presented a report on monitoring greenhouse gases as part of research at the South Valdai Ecological Observatory of the IEE RAS "Okovsky Forest". Photo: FRC InBYUM The aim of the conference in Djibouti is to contribute to the mitigation of the negative effects of climate change. The event featured presentations by scientists from different countries. Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh said at the opening of the conference: “Global warming is perhaps the most serious threat humanity faces. Now this is a major fact that we can no longer ignore and has increased in scope in recent years.” The head of state then expressed regret that the highly devastating effects of global warming, including droughts, floods, habitat destruction, inconsistency of food supply, health problems, migration and even conflict, are exacerbating the situation of the most vulnerable, especially in the poorest countries of Africa. The meeting in Djibouti can be viewed as a precursor for the work at the International Climate Conference (COP 27), which will begin in Egypt, in Sharm El Sheikh, on November 6th.

Belarusian and Russian scientists have conducted research on the dynamics of climatic factors for more than two thousand years. The research was carried out by scientists from the V.F. Kuprevich Institute of Experimental Botany of National Academy of Sciences together with colleagues from the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS. Using samples of fossil wood of pedunculate oak collected from the bottom of the Luchosa and Chernitsa rivers (Liozno district of the Vitebsk region), wood from archaeological excavations and historical buildings, as well as samples from living trees, for the first time in Belarus, four super-century dendrochronological scales were built: 1930-1615 to AD, 586-1351, 1410-1647 and 1805-2018. The scales demonstrate the dynamics of climatic factors and economic activity in the region over more than 2 thousand years. It was found that the main climatic factors limiting the growth of oak in the north-east of Belarus are the temperatures of August and September of the previous year. The current level of precipitation is not a limiting factor. All four dendrochronological scales clearly demonstrate the 11–12-year and 22–24-year cycles of oak growth. – The results of the research will expand the network of millennial dendrochronological scales in Europe used to reconstruct and predict climate change and identify patterns in changes in forest cover associated with climate factors. The results of the project are extremely important for the dating of archaeological objects. For the first time in Belarus, it became possible to date with dendrochronological methods with an accuracy of one year not only medieval monuments of archeology and history, but also some buildings of the Bronze Age, - the press service said. The so-called dendrochronological scale is built based on the study of wood samples, the dating of which is known, - a sequence of thicknesses of annual rings of trees of a certain species in a certain area from the current moment and as far as possible into the past. Measurements of the growth rings of old living trees can be used for periods close to the present. There are methods for performing such measurements that do not require cutting down the tree. Dendrochronology is a scientific discipline about methods of dating events, natural phenomena, archaeological finds and ancient objects based on the study of tree growth rings. It is used for dating wooden objects and fragments of tree trunks (for example, in buildings), as well as in biology - when studying biological changes over the past millennia. Dendrochronology includes dendroclimatology, which studies the patterns of composition of annual layers of tree species to establish the climate in past geological epochs. Photo from the archive Related materials: Belta: "Scientists of Belarus and Russia have studied the dynamics of climatic factors formore than 2 thousand years"

This year, two conference schools were held at the Deep Lake Hydrobiological Station (Ruzsky District, Moscow Region), so named because, in addition to lectures by leading experts, they heard reports from all trainees on the topics of their scientific work. Abstracts of these lectures and reports are planned to be published in the RSCI. These schools are organized to improve the skills of hydrobiologists, assist in determining the taxonomic affiliation of their materials and exchange information. The 5th Conference School on the Systematics and Faunistics of Cladocera (Crustacea: Cladocera), which is the dominant and widespread group of microinvertebrates in continental and marine waters, was held from July 4 to 12, 2022. The school was attended by 7 students (researchers and graduate students) from various scientific and educational institutions of Russia (Astrakhan, Yekaterinburg, Tyumen, Kazan and Moscow). The organizers and teachers were leading experts in the study of cladocerans of the world fauna: corresponding member of RAS A. A. Kotov (IEE RAS), Doctor of Biological Sciences N.M. Korovchinsky (IEE RAS), Doctor of Biological Sciences A.Yu. Sinev (Moscow State University) and Ph.D. O.S. Boikov (IEE RAS). The second conference school on the biology of freshwater meiobenthos was held from August 29 to September 6, 2022. It was attended by leading experts in the study of this community and its representatives (crustacean groups Cladocera, Ostracoda and Harpacticoida) - E.B. Fefilova (Institute of Biology, Komi Scientific Center RAS), A.N. Neretin (IEE RAS, Moscow) and E.A. Kurashov (Institute of Lake Science RAS, St. Petersburg) and four trainees from Moscow, Astrakhan and Krasnoyarsk. Lectures were given daily on the morphology, systematics and ecology of the representatives of the studied groups, and practical classes were held to determine them. One day weekly was devoted to excursions to historical sites in the vicinity of Zvenigorod.

In 2022 Rosneft, as part of the Ecology national project, conducted three expeditions to hard-to-reach and little-studied regions of the Russian Arctic. This was announced at a press conference in Moscow by representatives of the company. In the current field season, scientists have studied populations of ivory gulls, the Atlantic subspecies of walrus and wild reindeer. Rosneft is conducting research on the conservation and monitoring of key bioindicator species of Arctic ecosystems in accordance with an agreement signed in 2019 with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology. The specialists of the Company and the country's leading specialized scientific institutes spent a total of more than 14 months on expeditions. With the help of installed camera traps, they took 200,000 photographs. Over 600 biological samples were selected for laboratory analyses. Field work in 2022 was the final for the project. Based on their results, practical solutions for environmental protection at the Company's licensed areas will be developed. Employees of IEE RAS in 2022 participated in the voyage "Floating University" on the route Dikson - Franz Josef Land - Arkhangelsk. During the voyage, the main point of observation were walruses. The largest animal rookery this year was found on the island of Hayes. 658 individuals (previously recorded no more than 150) stayed away from the water - such behavior of animals on this island has not been previously described in the scientific literature. Director of IEE RAS, Professor, Corresponding member of RAS Sergey Valerievich Naidenko and Svetlana Mikhailovna Artemyeva, researcher at IEE RAS, head of the expedition, head of work on the study of walrus within the framework of the Biodiversity Conservation Program of Rosneft. Earlier in 2020/21, scientists from IEE RAS studied the behavior of polar bears on the islands of the Novaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land archipelagos as part of the project. The tasks of the expeditions included: to determine the frequency of predator encounters, to carry out morphometric measurements and to equip animals with satellite transmitters to study migration routes. In 2021, in the spring, work was also carried out on the island of Alexandra Land (Franz Josef Land archipelago). Specialists observed the animals during the period when females left their birth dens. The total length of the routes of the expedition was more than one and a half thousand kilometers. Three females were collared with Argos satellite transmitters. The first data from the transmitters recorded the migration of she-bears with cubs along fast ice from the island of Alexandra Land to the island of Georg Land and their exploration of the coastal bays of this island. The data collected during the Rosneft expeditions will make it possible to update the modern understanding of the ranges of the studied species. Related materials: Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia: "Подведены итоги трех экспедиций 2022 года по изучению экосистем труднодоступных районов российской Арктики в рамках нацпроекта «Экология»"

During the period from July 24 to August 18, 2022, employees of the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (laboratory assistants Gleb Pilipenko, Polina Ilyina and Polina Shibanova), with the support of the Lake Baikal Foundation and the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Zapovednoe Podlemorje", have already been carrying out field work to study the Baikal seal on the Ushkany Islands (Republic of Buryatia). 55 visual and photo counts of the Baikal seal were carried out (48 counts on Tonkiy Island, 3 - on Dolgiy Island, 3 - on Krugly Island). For the first time, a visual survey and photo survey was carried out on the Big Ushkany Island. In addition, camera traps were installed on the northern shores of Dolgiy (2 camera traps) and Krugly (2 camera traps) islands frequented by seals. We received photographic material from camera traps previously installed by employees of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Zapovednoe Podlemorie" on the northern coast of Tonkiy Island (8 camera traps were installed in total, the camera traps were operating from April 30, 2021 to August 14, 2022). All the data obtained will be used in the future to assess the number, population dynamics and distribution of Baikal seals on the Ushkany Islands. Based on the data obtained, the factors affecting the number of seals in haulouts will be determined. The data from camera traps will make it possible in the future to identify the daily and seasonal dynamics of the number of Baikal seals on the islands, as well as to obtain information on the use of haulouts by seals in other seasons. In addition, videos of the behavior of seals on the haulout on Tonkiy Island were filmed (157 videos, the total duration of video materials is more than 1600 minutes); information was received from the staff of the reserve on the number of tourists who visited the island daily during the expedition. The data obtained will subsequently be used to assess the impact of tourists on the behavior and number of Baikal seals. Biological material was also collected from 6 individuals of the Baikal seal for further genetic and hormonal studies. The staff of IEE RAS express their gratitude to the Lake Baikal Foundation and Federal State Budgetary Institution Zapovednoe Podlemorye for assistance in conducting research.

In August 2022, ICAO released the 2022 Environmental Report called “Innovation for a green transition”. The text of the report can be found on the official ICAO website. ICAO Environmental Reports are issued every three years and highlight the progress made in the organization's key areas of environmental protection during the reporting period. The 2022 report contains materials on issues such as: aviation and environmental prospects; aircraft noise, emissions of harmful substances in the airport area, aviation technologies, sustainably produced aviation fuels; Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA); climate change adaptation and resilience; biodiversity; action plans of states to reduce CO2 emissions, etc. In the section "Biodiversity" a joint article "Aviation extinguishing natural fires" by the Deputy Director of A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS Konstantin Gongalsky and the representative of the Russian Federation in the ICAO Committee of Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP), Artur Mirzoyan, head of the sector of the P.I. Baranov Central Institute of Aviation Motors (part of the National Research Center "N.E. Zhukovsky Institute"). Every year, millions of hectares of forests suffer from natural fires, endangering people's lives, as well as destroying flora and fauna. According to the global database, the average gross CO2 emissions from global wildfires between 1997 and 2017 each year accounted for nearly ¼ of total annual fossil fuel emissions (7.7 Gt CO2e). Increasing the absorptive capacity of forests and reducing emissions from wildfires could be one of the critical solutions to reduce global CO2 emissions. As a member of the Paris Climate Agreement, Russia has assumed a number of voluntary commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which are recorded in it as an Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) of the Russian Federation. They note that "a long-term goal of limiting anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions in the Russian Federation could be 70-75% of 1990 emissions by 2030, subject to the maximum possible consideration of the absorptive capacity of forests." Russia places the main stake in its climate doctrine on the capture of greenhouse gases by forest resources. Russia possesses one of the world's best, diverse and well-equipped firefighting aviation equipment. Multi-purpose aircraft of the An-2/3 family, the Be-200ChS amphibious aircraft, the Il-76 transport aircraft, the Mi-8 and Ka-32A utility helicopters, as well as the Mi-26T heavy multi-purpose helicopters are all successfully used for this purpose. The article presents the successful experience of Russia in the field of aviation firefighting in the country and abroad: in Armenia, the countries of the Balkan Peninsula, Israel, Indonesia, Turkey, Portugal, Serbia, Chile, etc. The main advantages of using aviation for the integrated management of wildfires, including participation in planning, prevention, early detection, extinguishing and reducing the negative consequences of wildfires, are highlighted. A separate highlight was placed on the important role of ICAO in the development of international standards for aviation firefighting, taking into account the national legal order, and the formation of a legal framework for the use of international aviation in the management of natural fires. The article supports the ICAO initiative to organize an international dialogue in the field of aerial firefighting, put forward in response to the Russian proposal to create a distributed international aviation fire service under the auspices of ICAO/UN. In the face of unprecedented Western sanctions against Russia, climate commitments have not lost their significance. Their implementation in modern conditions will be even more within the priority of unconditional observance of the national interests of Russia, its sustainable independent development. The Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) is a Technical Committee of the Council of ICAO. It was founded in 1983 and controls the impact of international civil aviation on the environment by developing and adopting relevant environmental standards. Related materials: Aviaport: "The ICAO environmental report for 2019-2022 includes proposals from Russianexperts"

The yacht "Apostol Andrei", photo by Dmitry Ryabov, World Fund for Nature  The expedition of the World Fund for Nature and IEE RAS collected unique data on the most poorly studied - the Laptev - walrus subspecies. For the first time, scientists were able to examine pinniped rookeries, take biopsy samples and equip animals with satellite transmitters. The study will allow developing effective measures for the protection of the subspecies listed in the Red Book of Russia. Expedition team, photo by Dmitry Ryabov, World Fund for Nature  Experts of the World Fund for Nature and the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of RAS covered more than 1800 nautical miles (about 3300 km) in two weeks on the sailing yacht "Apostol Andrey" (captain N.A. Litau) - from the port of Tiksi to Naryan-Mar. The main work was carried out on the eastern coast of the Taimyr Peninsula and on the islands in the Laptev Sea. Walruses, photo by Dmitry Ryabov,World Fund for Nature  In total, scientists managed to discover and examine five rookeries ranging from 50 to 1000 individuals. Each was filmed using drones so that the exact number of animals could be counted accurately. In addition, scientists were able to take approximately 50 biopsy samples, which is considered a very solid sample pool. Genetic analysis of these samples will finally answer the question of the status of the Laptev walrus subspecies. Experts disagree on whether the Laptev walrus is a separate subspecies (which Russian scientists insist on - it is listed in the Red Book) or is it a population of the Pacific walrus subspecies that lives to the east - foreign experts adhere to such a theory. photo by Dmitry Ryabov, World Fund for Nature  The tissue samples will also be tested for the presence of organic contaminants and heavy metals, which can affect the immunity of animals, their general condition and ability to reproduce. These studies are especially relevant in the context of the development of the Laptev Sea and the active development of navigation on the Northern Sea Route. Photo by Danila Skorobogatov, IPEE RAS Launching a drone from a ship, photo by Dmitry Ryabov, World Fund for Nature  Photo by Dmitry Ryabov, World Fund for Nature  Photo by Danila Skorobogatov, IPEE RAS Biopsy crossbow, photo: Dmitry Ryabov, World Fund for Nature  Photo by Dmitry Ryabov, World Fund for Nature  The installation of satellite tags on 15 animals can be considered a great success. A small transmitter allows tracking the movements of walruses. Ideally, it can work for several months, but some walruses manage to get rid of it earlier. This often happens in a rookery, when the walruses lie on the shore, tossing and turning and rubbing their backs against the ground. Photo by Dmitry Ryabov, World Fund for Nature  Photo by Dmitry Ryabov, World Fund for Nature  Photo by Dmitry Ryabov, World Fund for Nature  Walrus with a satellite transmitter, photo by Dmitry Ryabov, World Fund for Nature  “Satellite transmitters make it possible not only to follow the movements of animals, but to determine habitats that are critical for them. First of all, these are the territories where walruses linger for rest (rookeries) or feeding places. Walruses feed on the so-called "feed banks". This is a shallow area rich in bivalve mollusks, where walruses can comfortably dive and forage for food, - said Svetlana Artemyeva, a researcher at the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS. – It is these key areas that need special attention and control over economic activity. In the future, the key habitats of walruses should fall within the specially protected natural areas, and other conservation measures should be applied to them.” Photo by Dmitry Ryabov, World Fund for Nature  Photo by Dmitry Ryabov, World Fund for Nature  The first satellite data have already surprised scientists: one of the “marked” walruses from the coast of Taimyr moved to the New Siberian Islands, covering more than 800 kilometers in a week. Experts continue to monitor the travels of pinnipeds, in parallel with the analysis of biological samples and collected materials, which will take several months. Photo by Dmitry Ryabov, World Fund for Nature  Related materials: Plus-one: "The Red Data Book walruses of the Laptev Sea will be tracked with the help of satellites" Interfact Russia: "Russian scientists for the first time examined the rookeries of little-studied walruses in the Laptev Sea" Pobeda.RF: "Scientists are exploring little-studied pinnipeds" Fishnews: "Science will receive an array of valuable information about the "Red Book" walruses"

In the shells of freshwater bivalve molluscs of the genus Corbicula, scientists have found insect larvae and eggs of minnows. The name of the genus of these small mollusks is a diminutive of the Latin corbis (‘basket’). Their natural range is Asia, Indonesia and Africa. In Russia, they inhabit the Far East. It was recently discovered that the shells of these mollusks are used by insects and fish as a refuge for rearing offspring. Discovered endosymbionts Endosymbionts - organisms that live in other representatives of the fauna - were found and described by scientists of the Federal Research Center for the Comprehensive Study of the Arctic named after Academician N.P. Laverov, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Laverov Center, Arkhangelsk) together with colleagues from the A. N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS (Moscow) and foreign experts. Dmitry Palatov, Leading Engineer of the Laboratory of Synecology, participated in the study from IEE RAS. Scientists discovered endosymbionts by studying shellfish collected in South Korea, Thailand and Laos. Larvae of lake flies (chironomids) and mayflies (winged insects whose adults live from several hours to two or three weeks) were discovered to be present in corbicula shells. Scientists have found that these insects use "baskets" as a refuge for rearing offspring. As emphasized by the head of the research team, director of the Laverov Center, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Ivan Bolotov, the larvae of Laotian and Thai mayflies turned out to be two species new to science, as well as the found samples of the lake fly. Typical corbicula biotope in Southeast Asia The larvae of lake flies in the territory of the post-Soviet space are usually called bloodworms. They have specific parasitic relationships with corbicula hosts living in the fresh waters of Laos. According to the director of the Institute of Biogeography and Genetic Resources of the Laverov Center, Yulia Bespalaya, the chironomid larvae that have penetrated into the shell cavity gnaw a hole in the mantle (the fold of the mollusk body) and live in the space between the shell and the mantle, most likely feeding on the tissues of the mollusk. It was also found that the Soldatov's thicklip gudgeon (cyprinidae family) in the water bodies of Korea lays eggs in corbicula shells. The data was confirmed by genetic analysis. A similar symbiotic mechanism was previously known: other representatives of cyprinids - mustard fish - use barley mollusks, toothless and pearl oysters as a kind of protected incubator for their caviar. Laying eggs in a mollusk shell is the safest way for fish to let their offspring mature. “Some of the discovered inhabitants of the mantle cavity of the corbicula can be attributed to commensals - “cohabitants” who do no harm. This is a general trend for mayflies, who use the shells of various types of molluscs to raise their offspring. For science, the mechanism of symbiosis is of interest. Mayfly larvae feed on organic particles from the surface of the clam's gills. Their mouthparts are soft brushes. We hypothesize that the larvae may feed on small parasites such as mites and ciliates to help the host maintain hygiene. We have to ascertain at what stage of development the larvae of mayflies penetrate into the shells of corbicula,” notes Ivan Bolotov. “Gudgeon eggs are located in the mantle cavity of the shells, probably without causing damage to the host mollusk,” explains Yulia Bespalaya. “We did not notice that caviar complicates the functioning of the organ systems of molluscs. Most likely, caviar matures in the shell until the fish larvae hatch. We assume that the larvae of lake flies lead a parasitic way of life in relation to the host mollusk. Apparently, chironomids are introduced into the mollusk at an early stage and develop until the stage of pupation. The mollusk is not able to get rid of endosymbionts until they themselves leave the host organism. Corbicula is considered food and consumed en masse by the inhabitants of Japan and Korea. Far Eastern peoples consider shellfish to be beneficial to health. As a rule, the shells are boiled, the soft body of the mollusk is removed and washed from them. Larvae of lake flies and mayflies are not human parasites. Previously, biologists from the Laverov Center conducted similar studies of corbicula living in water bodies of the Russian Far East, but no endosymbionts were found. In the Far Eastern regions of the Russian Federation, corbiculae are mainly distributed in the estuarine parts of rivers, where fresh waters mix with sea waters (the lower part of the basin and the Amur delta, the mouth sections of small rivers in Primorsky Krai). These are the places of mass habitation of corbicula, but since the water here is brackish, there are no larvae of mayflies and chironomids in the shells. Endosymbionts live exclusively in fresh water. Scientists note a trend: corbicula, which serve as a refuge for opportunistic symbionts and parasites, live only in their natural habitat. This phenomenon is not common in Europe and is extremely rare in North America, where corbiculae are intensively distributed as invasive species (introduced by humans or accidentally into this habitat), forming very dense populations. Previously, malacologists from around the world, mainly studying corbicula in invasive parts of the range, believed that these types of mollusks were not susceptible to infection. The research was carried out under grants from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and the Russian Science Foundation. The scientific article was published in Ecology Related materials: Big Asia: "Russian scientists have discovered three new species of endosymbiont insects"

The leopards released in mid-July 2022 on the territory of North Ossetia-Alania have almost completely mastered the space of the Turmon forest. They gradually form habitats, where it is possible to identify the nuclear zones of the site (places where the probability of meeting an animal is highest). The relative position of the habitats of released leopards (a male and two females) is presented here (Fig. 1): Use of space At the moment, we can say that the ranges of the three leopards overlap by more than 50%. At the same time, the nuclear zones of the sites of females do not overlap at all, and the nuclear zones of the female Khosta and the male Leo overlap by more than 75%. In other words, the sisters Khosta and Laura separated after release and have little to do with each other. But the female Khosta is somewhat interested in the behavior of the male Leo and prefers to stay close to him and his habitat. Laura. Laura has mastered an area of ​​161.3 sq. km (according to 826 locations received from the collar) and is still expanding the boundaries of her site. The nuclear zone of her site is already well formed, which indicates that she has decided on a comfort zone. Laura has studied these places very well and periodically returns to them. This part of its section is located at an altitude of at least 1000 m above sea level. with a ceiling at 2964 m.a.s.l. Khosta. For Khosta, the habitat area covers an area of ​​150.8 square meters. km (according to 854 locations received from the collar). Like Laura, her zone is still expanding and still forming, but Khosta's is both in the core zone and in outer space. Most of the nuclear zone of its section is located below 1000 m a.s.l. Leo. Leo has the largest habitat, which is typical for males. In terms of area, it is more than twice as large as the territories of females and occupies 370.7 square km (according to 854 locations received from the collar). Its section is also not yet fully formed, but the nuclear comfort zone is clearly defined. Leo, like Khosta, prefers altitudes below 1000 above sea level. Movement For two months of life in the wild, each of the leopards covered a distance of about 220 km (Laura - 220 km, Khosta - 227.6 km, Leo - 216 km). The elevation profile used by the animals is shown in fig. 2. Hunting behavior and diet Released leopards successfully prey on their natural prey species. Each of them harvested and ate at least 7 prey animals in the 57 days that have passed since the release. Experts checked the hunting grounds of leopards in the field mountain conditions after data were received from their collars, confirming that the leopard had left the place of eating the prey. The following animal species have been found as the main components of the diet of leopards: badgers, foxes, raccoon dogs, jackals, roe deer and red deer. The last one was the quarry of the male Leo. Female Laura confidently specializes in smaller ungulates (roe deer). Small predators (badgers, raccoon dogs, jackals, foxes) predominate in the diet of the female Khosta. Of the three leopards, the female Laura most fully utilizes her prey, she is not too lazy to overcome the longest distances in search of her roe deer, unlike Khosta and Leo, who spend their forces more carefully in search of prey. The longest breaks between hunts were noted by us for the female Khosta. The Caucasian leopards released in North Ossetia, bred at the Leopard Restoration Center in the Caucasus of the Sochi National Park, are the basis for the formation of the core of a new population. Theoretically, at least 50 leopards should live on the territory of the Russian Caucasus. All released animals were specially tested before release for the ability to hunt and avoid encounters with humans. The program for the restoration of the leopard in the Caucasus is being implemented by the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources with the participation of the Sochi National Park, the Caucasian Reserve, the North Ossetian Reserve, the Alania National Park, the Turmonsky Reserve of Regional Importance, the World Fund for Nature , the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS), A.K. Tembotov Institute of Ecology of Mountainous Territories RAS (IEGT RAS), Moscow Zoo, with the assistance of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA). The monitoring of the leopard in the Caucasus is financially supported by World Fund for Nature  backer. In North Ossetia, RusHydro is providing financial support for the population recovery program.

During this stage of the work, scientists will collect material for genetic research, which will help determine the degree of inbreeding in the captive population of animals, assess the degree of current risks, and develop measures to minimize it. In addition, the work provides for a total aerial census of animals on a territory stretching over 4.6 kilometers of the autonomous region and the adjacent mountainous part of the Komi Republic, using light aviation. This will allow us to estimate the total number of the wild musk ox population and its distribution in the habitat. “As an experiment, we put a GSM collar on one of the musk oxen. Previously, satellite collars were used, but their service life is much shorter, which made it difficult to get a complete picture of the movement of the musk ox in the district, as well as to identify seasonal habitats and their migration routes,” said Taras Sipko, senior researcher at IEE RAS. By the end of the year, specialists will prepare a report based on the results of processing the data received and submit it to the district department of natural resources and ecology for subsequent decisions on breeding and resettlement of the musk ox in the district.