The name of the reserve where the bison lives. Prioksko-terrasny natural biosphere reserve. Regional Red Books

In the Serpukhov district of the Moscow region, on the left bank of the Oka, there is a specially protected natural area with an area of 49 hectares.

This is not only the only state reserve in the Moscow region, but also one of the smallest environmental protection zones in Russia. The reserve received biosphere status and the corresponding UNESCO certificate in 1979.

Since that moment, international environmental monitoring programs have been carried out in the reserve, and the reserve itself has since been included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. Throughout the reserve, deforestation, picking mushrooms and berries, hunting, as well as any construction and laying of communications are prohibited. Some types of economic activities are permitted in the territories adjacent to the reserve, but only those that do not harm the ecosystem and do not lead to the disappearance of flora and fauna.

Description of the reserve

The relief of the reserve is a terraced plain that slopes from north to south. Where carboniferous limestone lies close to the surface, sinkholes form. Near the Oka floodplain there are areas where sand banks form so-called valleys. The famous “Oka flora” grows here, which is not found anywhere else in the area.

The climate in the reserve is no different from the usual one near Moscow, that is, temperate continental. Frosty winters, warm summers, sufficient rainfall and a lot of snow.

Several rivers flow through the reserve, there are lakes and swamps. The largest rivers are Soshka and Tudenka, tributaries of the Oka. The largest lakes are Sionskoye and Protovskoye. During particularly dry summers, these lakes dry up almost completely. And in the largest karst sinkhole, thanks to heavy summer rainfall, a small lake sometimes forms, which is called the “Ox Eye”.

Story

Immediately after the end of the Great Patriotic War, on July 19, 1945, the Moscow State Nature Reserve was created, which included several areas.

In 1948, Prioksko-Terrasny was separated into an independent zone. The basis for this was a special group of southern steppe plants growing only here. This flora was uncharacteristic for the Moscow region, so it was even given the name “Oka Flora”.

However, the reserve was on the verge of closure, and it would not have existed long ago if not for the bison.

The fact is that in 1948, the Soviet scientist M.A. Zablodsky organized a bison nursery here to save this almost extinct species. It is only thanks to the bison that the reserve retained its status. Several generations of these animals, resettled from the Prioksky Nature Reserve, have since lived in the forests of Ukraine, Belarus, and Lithuania.

Since 1984, within the framework of the UNESCO program “Biosphere and Man”, meteorological observations have been carried out in the reserve and pollution of sediments and soil is monitored.

Flora and fauna

About 960 species of higher plants thrive in the Prioksko-Terrasny Nature Reserve. Aspen, pine, oak, spruce, and birch occupy almost 93% of the total area. In addition to trees and shrubs, 133 species of mosses, 23 species of liverworts, 625 species of mushrooms, and 132 species of lichens grow here. There are also many plants listed in the Red Book. Lady's slipper, helmeted orchis from the orchid family and 8 other plant species are included in the list of rare, endangered species.

In the south of the reserve there is the most valuable part of the plants - "Oka flora". These plants, characteristic of the steppes and not found anywhere else in the Moscow region, were discovered by Moscow State University professor N.N. Kaufman in 1861. Such plants include feather grass, fescue, Bieberstein tulip, steppe cherry, crowned serpuha, Russian hazel grouse, and many others.

The fauna of the reserve is also rich in various species of birds, reptiles, mammals, and amphibians.

A special attraction of the reserve is the diurnal butterfly, listed in the Red Book of the Moscow Region. Common swallowtail. The yellow-black-blue wingspan is almost 10cm! Regular observations are carried out on the number of ground beetles, since these beetles are an excellent indicator of the state of the entire ecosystem of the reserve.

Birds

The birds inhabiting the protected forests are so diverse that it would be difficult to list them all; there are 142 species in total. Birds of the passerine order are especially numerous: two species of warblers, flycatchers, puffbirds, tits, thrushes, robins, and chaffinches. Of the non-passerines, the hazel grouse, spotted woodpecker, cuckoo and gray owl are especially common.

Mammals

Wild mammals number 57 species. But the population of moose, beavers, foxes, white hares, and lynx is especially large. The moose population peaked in 1961 and began to threaten the preservation of the forest. Then it was decided to partially shoot these animals. Since then, the number of these animals does not exceed the permissible number and remains not only in the reserve, but throughout the entire Serpukhov region.

It is noteworthy that the reserve contains both inhabitants of broad-leaved forests and animals living in the steppe zone. All this became possible only thanks to the special landscape and unique steppe zones in the Oka floodplain.

Beavers and roe deer were practically exterminated at the beginning of the 20th century. But thanks to the efforts of the reserve’s workers, they were eventually returned to the habitat, and then resettled throughout the southern Moscow region. In the same way, the red deer was returned to the reserve.

Small mammals include moles, hedgehogs, and shrews. And the most numerous species of animals is foxes.

The reserve's reptiles are represented by five species: three species of lizards, a snake and a viper.

bison

We should also talk about the saviors of the reserve – the bison. The nursery was opened to replenish the bison population in its original habitat.

Today, bison are bred and studied on an area of 200 hectares. The nursery is divided into pens, which are connected by corridors. In the pen there is one male, 4-5 females and bison. When the young animals reach the age of 10 months, they are moved to a separate pen. Then the young individuals are resettled in other regions, where they lived before extermination.

For comparative analysis and study, a small group of American bison is kept in the nursery. Specialists in breeding this rare species are also trained here to work in other habitats.

It is interesting that all bison raised in the reserve are included in a special article in the International Stud Book, and the names of all animals without exception begin with the letter “M”, since the nursery is located near Moscow.

The bison has become the only successful example on Earth of an animal bred in captivity returning to its natural environment. Despite the titanic work done by the staff of the reserve, bison are still included in the International Red Book as a group of vulnerable animal species. It is not surprising that since 1998 the bison has become not only a symbol of Serpukhov, but also part of the city’s coat of arms.

Prioksko-Terrasny Biosphere Reserve on the map

How to get to the reserve

The bison is the only wild bull in Europe that has survived to this day. For most peoples of the Caucasus, the bison served not only as an object of hunting, but also personified the forces of nature, had a traditional cult meaning, and was worshiped as one of the symbols of their native land. The bison is an integral part of the deciduous forest ecosystems of the Caucasus, which forms the landscape inherent to the region. Restoring natural bison populations is one of the necessary conditions for recreating natural forests.

The disappearance of the bison in nature was caused by anthropogenic factors: destruction of habitats (cutting down and burning of forests, conversion of forest areas into agricultural land) and unrestricted hunting. The last wild populations of the species were destroyed at the beginning of the twentieth century. It took about 70 years of breeding - first in zoos and nurseries, and then in the wild - to increase the size of the world herd from 52 animals (1927) to 3418 individuals (1993).

Russian specialists began restoring the bison, which had been destroyed in the country, in the late 1940s. Two bison breeding nurseries were created in Russia (in the Prioksko-Terrasny and Oksky reserves), which reflects the history of the creation of nurseries. By 1991, 24 free-living groups of bison with a total number of about 1,500 individuals already existed on the territory of the USSR, of which 569 were in Russia. Due to virtually uncontrolled poaching in the 1990s, caused by the collapse of environmental services, by 1998 the number of free-living bison in Russia had decreased almost threefold - to 185 individuals.

The state of the bison population served as the basis for its inclusion in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, where it is classified as category 1 - an endangered species.

What are we doing for the bison?

At the initiative of WWF Russia, a Strategy for the Conservation of Bison in Russia was developed in the late 1990s. The strategy provided for the creation of several large groups of animals of 500–1000 individuals with the restoration of the natural population structure and identified priority areas for reintroduction, which included the Caucasus.

In 2009, WWF Russia began practical actions to restore natural bison populations in the North Caucasus. In 2011, JSC North Caucasus Resorts and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) entered into an agreement on cooperation in the field of nature conservation in the North Caucasus. This agreement also made it possible to import and release bison in 2012 and 2013. Coverage of bison release events attracted international attention to the problem of restoring their population.

Difficult wintering conditions and the small number of Arkhyz bison group, for the preservation of which is of particular importance the fate of each animal required biotechnical measures related to feeding animals in winter. Members of the WWF Club “Golden Panda” and LLC “Center-Soya” provided enormous assistance in this regard. The efficiency of animal reproduction depends on their physiological state, so feeding bison in winter contributed to the rapid growth of the group.

During this time, 36 bison were brought to the region from Russian nurseries. Currently, there are two groups of purebred bison in the Caucasus: one lives in the Tseysky reserve in North Ossetia, the other in the Arkhyz section of the Teberdinsky reserve in Karachay-Cherkessia.

In September 2012, WWF Russia and the Government of North Ossetia signed an agreement on cooperation in restoring the bison population in the republic. One of the activities is the creation of the third bison nursery in Russia (the first in the Caucasus). To increase the number of bison in the Central Caucasus, it is planned to form a new group in the Turmonsky reserve. On its territory, the construction of a quarantine enclosure with an area of 5 hectares has already been completed for holding bison, which awaits new settlers from nurseries in Russia and Europe.

Plans for the development of free-living bison groups in the North Caucasus are included in the draft of the new Strategy for the Conservation of Bison in Russia. The primary tasks in this direction in the North Caucasus are to assess the capacity of habitats to identify territories suitable for the formation of new groups of bison, ensure their territorial protection and importation of animals.

Bison(Bison bonasus)- a wild forest bull, the largest ungulate animal on the European continent, which is rightfully considered a contemporary of the mammoth. Bull body length reaches 3 – 3.5 meters, shoulder height 1.7 – 2 meters, weight can reach one ton. The bison's fur on the front part of the body is thick, soft and long, which visually makes it appear even more massive and powerful. But the bison’s voice is more like a dull grunt and does not fit well with the impression of the animal – a giant.

Written data about the bison has been known since the 3rd century BC, and the fossil remains of the ancestors of the bison date back to the Pliocene (1.5 million years ago). For most peoples, this powerful and beautiful animal personified the forces of nature, had a traditional cult meaning, and was worshiped as one of the symbols of their native land.

The bison is a symbol of the entire environmental movement to save rare and endangered species of animals. Thanks to breeding in nurseries, it has become the only species in the world that has survived only in captivity and is successfully returning to the wild!

Only man is to blame for the disappearance of the bison in the wild. Poaching, cutting down and burning forests, and the unrestricted shooting of animals during periods of wars, popular unrest and revolutions led to the fact that by 1927 the bison was completely exterminated in the wild. In 1927, all over the world, and only in captivity, there were only 48 bison left in European zoos. From 1933 to 1939, there lived in the USSR a single purebred bison named Bodo, miraculously preserved in a reserve near Kherson.

Thanks to the activities of nurseries and zoological gardens, the bison was saved from complete extinction. Now world population size There are about 4,500 bison, of which about 3,000 animals live in the wild.

How long do bison live?

Bison cannot be considered one of the longest-living animals. Their lifespan is relatively short and does not exceed 30 years. Males usually live 10 years less than females. The recorded age limit for males is 23 years, but most of them die of old age at the age of 19-20 years. Bison grow quite slowly. Males reach full physical development by 10 years, females by 7 years.

How long does bison pregnancy last?

Females bring their first bison when they reach the age of three. Pregnancy lasts about 9 months. Nine to ten month old calves are separated from their mothers. Most bison calves are born in May-June.

What do bison eat?

Bison feed on herbaceous and woody plants. They graze mainly in forest clearings and in the floodplains of small rivers and streams, and in the fall in mown clearings, eating the remnants. The most favorite tree species are willow, aspen and oak. Bison eat thin branches with leaves, strip off young trees and eat the bark. They love acorns very much.

In the nursery, in the summer, bison are fed twice a day with compound feed and wood feed, and in winter they also add hay and succulent feed - chopped beets or carrots. On average, an adult bison receives about 2 kg of feed per feeding, and an adult bison – 3 kg. Bison begin to receive dry food from the age of two months. Each pen has salt lick with mineral additives.

What is the character of a bison?

By their nature, bison are rather timid, shy animals. In the forest, when free, they usually avoid meeting people and, when they see him, run away. In the pens of the nursery they behave much more boldly, although they obey the bison breeders. Bison remember very well the sounds that accompany the distribution of food. For example, in a nursery, bison come for breakfast and dinner (they do not have lunch) at the sound of a hunting horn or bugle.

What is the difference between bison and bison?

The differences between bison and American bison are minor. The bison has a higher hump, different in shape, longer horns and a tail. The bison's head is set higher than that of the bison. The bison's body fits into a square, while the bison's body fits into an elongated rectangle, that is, the bison has a longer back and shorter legs. In the hot season, the back of the bison is covered with very short hair, almost bald, while the bison has hair developed all over its body at all times of the year. Both species are approximately the same in size, although the American bison, due to its stockiness, looks more compact and stronger.

Filming of the film "Bisons of Russia: Past, Present, Future" continues. The documentary film is planned to be shown this year, declared the Year of Specially Protected Natural Areas.

Let us recall that in 2016, the Oryol Polesie National Park received a grant from the Russian Geographical Society to create a film that will tell about wild bulls living in protected forests and the work done to preserve the species. The project involves five specially protected natural areas: the Oryol Polesie national parks - the center of bison settlement in Central Russia, Ugra, Smolensk Poozerie and the Bryansk Forest and Kaluga Zaseki nature reserves. Work on the grant is coordinated by Polesie.

The bison is a wild forest bull, the largest ungulate animal in Europe. The length of its body reaches 3.5 meters, the height at the shoulder is 1.7 - 2 meters, higher than the tallest dragoon horse. The weight of the animal can reach one ton. Poaching, deforestation and burning of forests led to the fact that by 1927 the bison was completely exterminated in the wild. Thanks to the activities of nurseries and zoological gardens, the animal was saved from complete extinction. American bison were used to restore the population. Now the world population of bison is about 4,500 animals, of which about 3,000 animals live in the wild. The bison is listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation as an endangered species.

To date, the creative working group has already filmed in most reserves. During the work, special equipment is used, which makes it possible to capture the life of forest giants in the wild in every detail. And although it is not easy to film bison, they are wary, timid, and most importantly, they have very sensitive hearing, the director of Oryol Polesye, Oleg Prigoreanu, is confident that a year of hard work will make it possible to create a unique and exciting film.

The cameraman of the film, Mikhail Khryashchev, also shared his impressions of the filming: “More than the herds of bison, I was struck by the passion of the employees of the protected areas for the work process, their dedication and love for these huge animals,” he noted.

By the way, in January 2017, Oryol Polesie celebrates its 23rd birthday. The park was created in 1994, in the north-west of the Oryol region, in its most wooded part, to preserve the flora and fauna of the southern Russian taiga. More than 900 species of plants grow on its territory and about 270 species of animals live, many of which are listed in the Red Books. One of the main activities of the park is the formation of a stable free population of European bison.

The “Program for the Conservation of the Bison Population in Russia” was first launched in the Oryol Polesye National Park in 1996.

More than 60 animals were brought here not only from nurseries in Russia, but also, which is extremely important, from Holland, Switzerland, Germany and other European countries,” said Oleg Prigoreanu. “As a result, it was possible to concentrate the entire global gene pool in one population.

In 2014, the process of resettlement of bison began from the Oryol Polesie to the Ugra National Park in the Kaluga Region, and then, in 2016, to the Smolenskoye Poozerie National Park in the Smolensk Region, which significantly expanded the bison territory in Central Russia. For the first time, the conservation tasks of this species are being implemented through the joint efforts of five protected areas in the country. This is the common work of protected areas and nature users of adjacent territories. The protection of animals outside protected areas is impossible without close cooperation between inspectors of national parks, nature reserves and nature users.

At the moment, the free population of bison in the Oryol, Bryansk and Kaluga regions totals more than 400 animals.

Bison are deservedly considered the rulers of the forest due to the amazing power, strength, and greatness of this beast. The history of the animal, dating back to antiquity, amazes with its depth and drama.

The bison were exterminated to a critical minimum, but reserve specialists and private individuals created nurseries in which the last individuals of the population were taken under protection and saved.

Features and habitat of the bison

Bison- the largest representative of land mammals in Europe, a descendant of wild bulls. In the Middle Ages, forest giants were common in forest areas from east to west throughout Eurasia.

What animal is bison?, can be understood from its dimensions:

The weight of a modern adult bison reaches 1 ton. The ancestors were even larger, up to 1200 kg;
the height of the animal at the withers reaches 180-188 cm;
length – up to 270-330 cm.

Females are slightly smaller. The bison has a massive front part of the body with a large hump that combines a short neck and back. The back of the body is compressed and smaller in size.

The chest is wide. The tail, covered with hair, up to 80 cm long, ends in a brush-like tuft of hair. Strong and sturdy legs with convex hooves, the front ones are much shorter than the rear ones.

The bison is the largest representative of land mammals

The head with a wide forehead is very low, even the tail of the animal is higher than the crown of the head. The black horns are spread out and pushed forward. Their surface is smooth, their shape is hollow and round.

The length is up to 65 cm, and the spread of the horns is up to 75 cm. The name of the animal possibly goes back to the Proto-Slavic word “tooth,” meaning a sharp object. The giant's horns, pointed and directed forward, determined his name.

The ears are small, hidden in the hair on the head. Eyes with bulging black eyeballs, large and thick eyelashes. The mouth part is blue. The bison's sense of smell and hearing are well developed, but its vision is slightly worse.

The fur is dark brown, with a reddish tint in young individuals. Short, dense and waterproof, protects the animal from dampness and cold. The neck and hump are covered with longer hair. You can even notice a small bison beard.

Mighty bulls live in herds, which also include young bulls. Sexually mature bison join their relatives during mating time. One herd can contain from 10 to 20 animals.

An animal that looks like a bison, - American. The differences between them are small. There is a common offspring of these relatives - bison.

In the 1920s, bison disappeared from the wild. Today bison is an animal from the Red Book, modern powerful forest inhabitants originated from rescued individuals in special nurseries and nature reserves. Only 30 years later did the settlement of the first herd bison become possible.

Two types of bison are recognized:

Belovezhsky (plain), larger, with long legs. Lived in England, Scandinavia, Western Siberia;
Caucasian (mountain), lived in the Caucasus. It was distinguished by its smaller size and curly hair. It was destroyed at the beginning of the 20th century.

Bison live in mixed coniferous and deciduous forests, with open glades, not far from the river. Currently, bison can be found in Russia, Poland, Moldova, Belarus, Latvia, and Kyrgyzstan.

Character and lifestyle of the bison

Animal bison It is striking in size, seems clumsy and indifferent to everything when at rest. A bison in irritation and anger is dangerous. Warning the enemy by shaking his head, snorting and looking at him, he runs after him and strikes with his horns.

Pictured is the Belovezhsky bison

Neither thickets nor high fences will stop an angry animal. Bulls go out to graze in the morning and evening. During the daytime they like to rest, bask in the sun, brush their fur in dry soil and chew cud.

The herd of females and calves is led by the most experienced female. Males join them only during mating time. They live in small groups separately or alone. Sometimes family groups unite to protect their offspring from predators.

In the photo there is a group of bison with cubs

A female protecting her cub can be dangerous to humans. Approaching an animal breeds aggression. In other cases, bison may be indifferent to people and come close to look at them due to poor eyesight. In nature, they avoid meetings and prudently move away.

in spring rare animals bison They stay close to river beds, and in hot summers they move into the forests. Animals hide from the heat in shady thickets. If insects are chasing giants, they seek refuge in wind-blown, dry places. A few hours before sunset, the bulls are sure to move to watering.

Bison graze, as a rule, in a selected area. If there is little food, they move in search of a new place. Strong legs and endurance, the ability to swim well allow you to easily cover tens of kilometers.

The herbivorous giant does not pose a threat to forest inhabitants. The main enemies of the bison are,. The bison are saved from their attacks on calves by a perimeter defense.

The most unprotected calves and weakest females hide inside the ring. Communication between bison is almost silent. They can make quiet sounds similar to grunting and rumbling. They let out a snort in irritation.

Nutrition

The diet of herbivorous bison is based on several hundred plant species. The diet consists of leaves, shoots, tree bark, branches of shrubs, some herbs, and lichens.

The nutritional value of feed depends on the season. In summer they like maple greens, willow, and ash. In autumn, they additionally eat mushrooms, berries, and acorns. During the cold winter period, animals dig out snow with their hooves in search of food, feed on bark, thin branches of bushes, pine needles, and lichens.

One bull requires up to 50 kg of feed per day. In nature reserves, bison are fed with hay. The bison do not allow anyone near the feeding troughs in the reserves. There are known cases of animals killing their food competitors in nature.

The bison can feed on thin branches and pine needles

Reproduction and life expectancy of the bison

The fight between bison for the best female begins in July and lasts until the end of September. Strong males come into the herds, drive away the calves and compete fiercely. The female's pregnancy lasts up to 9 months.

One calf appears in a secluded place, weighing up to 25 kg. A newborn's coat is light beige. He immediately stands up on his feet, drinks full-fat milk and follows his mother closely by the smell. After three weeks, plant-based feeding will begin, but the calf will need mother's milk until about a year old.

Young calves stay with the herd for up to three years, learning survival skills from the adults. At the age of 3-5 years they become sexually mature. The growth of young bison continues until 5-6 years. Bison live on average up to 20-25 years. In protected areas, life expectancy can be up to 30 years.

In the photo there is a bison with its calf

Description of the animal bison, a contemporary of the mammoth, its life history, extinction, revival makes one think about the value and preservation of wild nature in its unique guise.