In connection with the disappearance in recent years of many objects of flora and fauna, urgent measures are required to save them. Despite the fact that the animals included in the Red Book of Russia are under special state protection, the number of individuals of some of them continues to decline.
Causes of extinction of animals
This problem is relevant for many countries of the world. The disappearance of many species of animals from our planet without a trace is of great concern to environmentalists. The main reason for this phenomenon is considered to be a violation of the natural balance as a result of environmental pollution, which has a detrimental effect on representatives of the animal world.
The consumer attitude of man to nature also plays a big role. Poaching has led to the fact that the population of many species of animals has significantly decreased, and some of them have disappeared forever. Our country is no exception. Animals listed in the Red Book of Russia are also on the verge of extinction (a description of the rarest of them is givenin this article).
Red Book of Russia
In addition to the international Red Book, the same document was created in Russia in 2001. It contains data on the state and distribution of rare animals and plants located on the territory of our country, their condition and protection measures. The Red Book is a reminder to everyone of how defenseless our nature is. Improving their living conditions by cutting down forests and draining swamps, a person should not forget about those who are nearby. So far, this is the only official document that has a mechanism for protecting the animal and plant world.
The fact that the efforts of nature conservationists are stabilizing the situation is evidenced by the fact that some plants and animals included in the Red Book of Russia replenish the lists posted on its green pages, informing about representatives of fauna and flora that have overcome the critical population decline point.
Nevertheless, there are still very, very many endangered species of animals living in our country.
Bison
These mighty animals up to two meters high and sometimes weighing more than a thousand kilograms were almost completely destroyed in the wild by the beginning of the last century. A counted number of individuals remained only in the zoos of Europe. This situation has arisen due to the destruction of forests, the growing number of human settlements in bison habitats, as well as intensive hunting.
If earlier thesepowerful and beautiful animals were often found not only in forests, but also in open spaces, then the bison that remained in the Caucasus and in Belovezhskaya Pushcha in the 1920s on the territory of Russia were finally exterminated by poachers. Only single individuals kept in captivity (in zoos, nurseries, etc.) became the basis for breeding.
Despite the fact that today bison are animals listed in the Red Book of Russia, their population is still very small, and they are still endangered.
Amur tiger
This is perhaps the largest cat in the world. Her body reaches 3 meters in length. The weight of the animal is about 300 kg. The Amur tiger has a special resistance to cold weather, arranging its rookery right in the snow and staying there for quite a long time. This animal prefers mainly forests with steep slopes and rocky ledges, from where the surrounding space is clearly visible.
Inhabitants of Primorsky Krai, where this formidable predator lives, worship him. In their language, they call the Amur tiger “amba”, which means “big”. However, this did not save him from extinction. Back in the 19th century, like all other forest animals listed in the Red Book of Russia, the Amur tiger was quite numerous in terms of the number of living individuals. But the destruction of the forest, unregulated shooting, poaching led to the fact that by the beginning of the last century, these animals remained only in the most remote taiga corners. Then there were no more than 50 individuals.
Todaythanks to conservationists and scientists, the population of the Amur tiger in Russia has increased significantly. Now in our country there are about 450 individuals.
Giant shrew
The number of the giant shrew has also been steadily declining in recent years. This representative of the shrew family is quite large - up to 10 centimeters.
It lives mainly in broad-leaved or mixed forests located in the south of Primorsky Krai. These animals, included in the Red Book of Russia, prefer forests that are located in river valleys and are not touched by deforestation or fires. The reduction in the population of this species was influenced by the peculiarity of the shrew to bring offspring only once during the entire summer period. Until now, scientists have not been able to establish the sex ratio, as well as the number of cubs in the litter. The main diet of the giant shrew is earthworms, which it is able to extract even from very dense soil.
Amur forest cat
This formidable spotted predator, whose length can reach 1 meter, has special features: each individual has a unique pattern on the coat, and there are light and dark stripes on the forehead. The animal lives mainly in the south of the Far East and in Primorsky Krai.
The Amur cat reacted with a decrease in the population to cutting down trees, forest fires and other human activities. This is one of the mainreasons why certain animal species are disappearing today. Included in the Red Book of Russia, they get a chance to save their population. So, the number of individuals of the Amur cat has recently increased markedly.
Sakhalin musk deer
These are small artiodactyls from the deer family, which are also endangered today. Their population declined sharply at the end of the last century. The number of this species today does not exceed 650 individuals and tends to decrease, therefore conservation measures in relation to them are especially important.
These animals, listed in the Red Book of Russia (photo can be found in this article), live mainly in dark coniferous forests located in the mountainous terrain of Sakhalin Island. Instead of horns, males have saber-shaped fangs, the length of which reaches 10 cm. The musk deer has the ability to jump two meters from a place.
Fish owl
The body length of this largest owl in Russia can be up to 70 cm. Moreover, females are slightly larger than males. The fish owl lives far from human habitation, preferring to settle in mixed forests located near lakes and rivers rich in fish. In search of prey, he, as a rule, sits down on a large stone and peers intently into the water. Noticing the fish, the eagle owl instantly dives and snatches it out of the water. Crayfish, frogs, which they grope with their paws at the bottom of the reservoir, also serve as food for these birds. The fish owl is no less than many forestanimals included in the Red Book of Russia need protection, as the number of individuals is steadily declining.
Far Eastern leopard
Here is another of the representatives of the cat family, which is on the verge of extinction. Its habitat is the southern territory of Primorsky Krai, where no more than 50 individuals have been identified at present.
The Far Eastern (or Amur) leopard has some features compared to its other relatives. Its coat changes significantly depending on the season. If in summer it has a bright color and a maximum length of 2.5 cm, then by winter it reaches 6–7 cm and becomes lighter. Beautiful fur has become one of the reasons for the decline in the population of these animals. Near the forests where the Amur leopards live, there are villages, agricultural lands, and this creates favorable conditions for poachers. Not only leopards are destroyed for profit, but also many other forest animals listed in the Red Book of Russia.
The main food for the Amur leopard is deer, the number of which in the wild is declining. It is not uncommon for reindeer herders to kill predators that wander into their territory in search of food.
Due to the active human economic activity carried out in the Far East from 1970 to 1983, the habitat of the Far Eastern leopard has decreased by more than 80%. Today, special conservation measures are being taken to protect suitablefor these animals of the earth from human influence and increase the number of individuals of the Amur leopard.
The animal world is changeable. Therefore, lists listing which animals are included in the Red Book of Russia today may look different in a couple of years. I would like to believe that many species of fauna that are on the verge of extinction will be on the green pages of this document.
