A new project on reintroduction of saker falcons is being launched in Tatarstan
The Ministry of Ecology is launching a project for the reintroduction of Saker falcons in the Republic of Tatarstan. This was told today at a press conference at the Republican Agency for Press and Mass Communications "Tatmedia" by Deputy Minister of Ecology Olga Manidicheva. The press conference was also attended by the president of the NGO Union of Falconry Lovers and Protection of Birds of Prey "Russian Falcon" Ildar Enaleev, Head of the Department of Bioecology of KFU Ilgizar Rakhimov and Executive Director of the A. I. Shchepovskikh Regional Public Foundation Andrey Agarkov. According to Olga Manidicheva, the Saker falcon is a rare bird species that is listed in the Red Books of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan. The Deputy Minister clarified: "The last time the nesting of the Saker falcon in our republic was recorded in 1974 on the territory of the Saralinsky section of the Volga-Kama State Natural Biosphere Reserve. That is why it is so important to revive the population of this rare bird. The Government of the Russian Federation is taking measures to restore the populations of the saker falcon, a striking example is the creation of a center for the reintroduction and conservation of birds of the falcon families in the Kamchatka Territory."
Ildar Enaleev told more about the history of the rare bird. The speaker clarified that the project is planned to be implemented on the territory of the Kamsko-Ustinsky district and with the support of the Rehabilitation Center for Birds of Prey "Holzan". The Holzan Center is the largest Center in Russia for the maintenance, rehabilitation and breeding of birds of prey. It has 2 nurseries located in the Republic of Crimea and the Sverdlovsk region. It carries out breeding in an artificially created habitat of rare species of falcons and their release into the wild, as well as methodological support in the implementation of environmental programs.
He noted that the expert council under the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan in March 2022 supported the inclusion of falconry in the Catalog of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Tatarstan.
The details of the scientific component of the project were presented to journalists by Professor Ilgizar Rakhimov. He emphasized that the implementation of this new project will increase the population of rare species of falcons and will allow replicating such experience in other territories of the Volga-Kama region.
Andrey Agarkov shared the plan for the implementation of the project in the Kamsko-Ustinsky district. The Executive Director of the A. I. Shchepovskikh Regional Public Foundation said that the project for the reintroduction of falcons in the Republic of Tatarstan involves the delivery of chicks (pairs) from the Holzan Center, the installation of hacks for birds, the organization of a tent camp of volunteers to ensure the feeding and preservation of birds for 3 months, and then release them into their natural habitat.
The project is supposed to be implemented with the scientific support of the scientific community with the involvement of volunteers.
It should be noted that this project became the winner of the grant competition of PJSC Sibur "Formulas of good deeds".
Currently, a roadmap has been developed, according to which an agreement is planned to be signed this week between the Anatoly Ivanovich Shchepovskikh Regional Public Foundation and PJSC SIBUR Holding.