These animals can be seen in zoos, but it is much more interesting to watch them in their natural habitat. To do this, you can go to a nature reserve or national park. Here are a few animals you can see from a safe distance.
1. Brown bear
You can take a look at the charismatic owner of the forest in various parts of the country. For example, in reserve Bryansk region. Brown bears also live in the Altai Biosphere reserve near Lake Teletskoye.
You can also meet them in the Caucasian reserve, located on the territory of the Krasnodar Territory, Adygea and Karachay-Cherkessia. The Caucasian subspecies of brown bear lives there. It differs from the Siberian in its penchant for plant foods and less aggressiveness.
Those who want not only to be close to the owners of the forest, but also to see them from a safe distance, can go to the Kronotsky Nature Reserve. There, next to the Kuril Lake, lives the largest population of wild bears in Kamchatka. For tourists, observation towers have been built near their habitat. From there you can calmly observe the life of adult bears and their communication with cubs – how the cubs play on the shore of the lake, and the adults catch fish.
The reserve’s website states that a safe encounter with bears guaranteed to all tourists.
2. Walrus
There are three types of walruses in Russia: Atlantic, Pacific and Laptev. These animals can be seen in nature reserves and sanctuaries in the north of the country. Thus, in the Barents Sea and the Nenets Sea located on its coast reserve Atlantic walruses are found. There are a lot of them there – about 2000 individuals. On the shore, animals arrange large rookeries and feel great.
The same animals can be found in the national park “Russian Arctic” On the island of Stolichki, one of the islands of the Franz Josef Land archipelago, there is also a large rookery of Atlantic walruses. Pacific representatives of the species, if you’re lucky, can be seen in the National Park “Beringia“or in the reserve”Wrangel Island“on the Chukotka Peninsula.
On November 24, in all reserves and national parks where these animals live, noted Walrus Day. A good reason to take a look at the cute inhabitants of the North.
3. Nerpa
Amazing seals can also be found in various parts of Russia. Thus, Caspian seals live on Maly Zhemchuzhny Island. You can take a look at them at the Astrakhan State reserve.
In the south of Primorsky Krai in the Far Eastern Sea reserve Spotted seals live. At the end of spring, seals from all over the Far East gather on the Rimsky-Korsakov Islands – there they give birth to pups, molt, and then return to their permanent habitats.
In the Transbaikal National park The Baikal seal lives. She lives in Barguzinsky And Baikal-Lenskoye reserves created to protect the flora and fauna of Lake Baikal and the surrounding area. The probability of seeing animals there is very high.
4. Bison
To see these rare and beautiful animals, you don’t have to go to the ends of the earth. They live, for example, in the reserve “Bryansk forest” For those who want to look at the bison, group excursions are held there, for which, however, you need to sign up in advance.
In addition, bison live in protected areas of the Moscow, Kaluga, Oryol, Vladimir and Smolensk regions. A large population of these rare animals lives in the Caucasus reserve – Today there are more than a thousand individuals.
5. Argali
These are graceful mountain sheep – they are also called argali. Argali has beautiful twisted horns, which have long attracted hunters. Today, fortunately, these animals are of interest mainly to photographers and videographers; hunting in national parks and reserves is prohibited.
Argali can be seen in the Sailyugem National park in the Altai Republic. The probability of meeting them is quite high – more than two and a half thousand of these animals live there. For tourists who want to get to know the world of mountain argali closer, it was created route “The path of the Altai ibex”. The excursion lasts seven days.
6. Saiga
The steppe antelope with interesting striped horns is found in Kalmykia. Tourists who want to meet the saiga can go to the Eltonsky natural park in the Volgograd region or to the Orenburg reserve.
An interesting excursion is also offered to travelers in the Black Lands Nature Reserve, located in Kalmykia. Special route The 20-kilometer Saiga Trail will allow you to visit the habitats of wild antelope.
These animals can be seen in the reserve at any time of the year – here lives more than 1,200 individuals. There are observation platforms for tourists so that they can watch antelopes and other representatives from afar.
7. Przewalski’s horse
Another rare steppe animal lives next to the saigas – the wild Przewalski’s horse. It can also be found in the Orenburg Nature Reserve. Started here in 2015 project to restore the population of these unique animals. For tourists there are walking tourswhere you can not only see wild horses from afar, but also photograph them from a distance of about 15 meters.
Przewalski’s horses live in the reserve permanently, but group excursions are held in the warm season, starting at the end of April.
8. Snow leopard
The snow leopard, as this graceful and strong animal is also called, can be seen on the territory of Russia in the Altai reserve. But the Sayano-Shushensky Nature Reserve is more popular among snow leopard lovers. Designed for tourists here route “Through the Sayan Canyon,” which passes through animal habitats. The journey lasts from 3 to 8 days.
The snow leopard is listed in the Red Book, so encounters with it do not happen so often. But there is still a chance of seeing this unique animal in the Sayan Mountains.
Go for new experiences 🛤🚗
