05 February 2004 14:54
Russian region working for new habitat for endangered beaver
Kyzyl, 5 February: The government of the Republic of Tyva has made a decision to expand the Azas wildlife sanctuary
by 37,000 hectares to conserve the population of the endangered Tyva beaver. The increasingly rare animal will be moved
to the basin of the Bilin River to that end.
The expansion of the sanctuary was called for by environmentalists, who, together with colleagues from Germany, have
for some years now been studying the option of moving several family groups of the animal into different homes, such as
the upper reaches of the Bolshoy Yenisey River, which the Bilin River flows into. The environmentalists believe the food
resources in the Azas River basin, where only 70-80 Tyva beavers live, are limited. Another danger is being posed by the
European beaver, which lives in nearby Republic of Khakassia, Irkutsk Region and Krasnoyarsk Territory. It breeds fast,
has already penetrated the territory of Tyva and may crowd out its aboriginal cousin.
The Tyva beaver is endemic to Tyva and dwells in the Azas River basin only. A surviving colony of these creatures is
in danger of extinction and is listed in the red books of endangered species in both Russia and Tyva. The Azas state
game reserve was created to conserve this species and it was subsequently transformed into a sanctuary.
[ITAR-TASS news agency] |
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