“Reserves and national parks - specially protected natural areas (SPNA) - today, perhaps, the only way to preserve and restore rare species of animals.

At present, their total area is more than 13% of the area of ​​Russia and continues to expand.

This is not a fenced area, as many people think, but with a certain regime that creates comfortable conditions for animals.

Visiting by people is limited, protection from poachers is established, felling and other economic activities are not carried out, ”she said.

According to the specialist, many protected areas were created "purposefully to preserve rare species."

“For example, the Sikhote-Alinsky and Bastak reserves and the Call of the Tiger National Park were created to protect the Amur tiger.

The Land of the Leopard National Park has been created to protect the Far Eastern leopard, the Sailyugem National Park for the snow leopard, the Chernye Zemli reserve and the Stepnoy reserve for the saiga, and this is not a complete list, ”Dronova explained.

The expert emphasized that the reserves also help in the restoration of extinct species.

“The most striking example is the bison, which has completely disappeared in nature and survived only in captivity.

Currently, two Russian nurseries (in the Prioksko-Terrasny and Oksky reserves) breed bison to replenish the free-living groups that were created from scratch in the Bryansk Forest, Kaluzhsky Zaseki, Mordovsky, North Ossetian and national parks "Oryol Polesye", "Smolenskoye Poozerie", "Ugra".

The number of bison in nature is already about 1600 individuals, ”she explained.

Dronova noted that the preservation of rare species "is impossible without preserving the integrity of ecosystems - their habitat, their homes, and this is ensured by specially protected natural areas." 

The specialist clarified that national parks are also "environmental and educational institutions."

Their regime allows limited tourist visits, allowing people to experience nature and even see rare animals in their natural environment, said the WWF's conservation projects coordinator.

“In the Caucasian Reserve and the Alania National Park, the Program is being implemented to restore the Central Asian leopard, which disappeared in the Russian Caucasus in the middle of the last century.

Leopards obtained from breeding at the Leopard Restoration Center of the Sochi National Park and prepared for life in nature using a special method are released on the territory of protected areas, ”the expert explained.

She added that the Lazovsky Nature Reserve is also planning a program to restore the extinct Far Eastern leopard in Sikhote-Alin.

“A center for the reintroduction of this predator will be built there.

The animals will be released into nature in order to create a reserve group, in addition to the existing one on the territory of the Land of the Leopard National Park, concluded Dronova.

On January 11, Russia celebrates the day of reserves and national parks.