YAKUTSK, February 24. /TASS/. A batch of steppe bison will be brought to Pleistocene Park in Yakutia’s north-east to continue the experiment to restore the mammoth steppe ecosystem, Nikita Zimov, a businessman and scientist, running the park, told TASS.
Bison is one of the largest surviving ungulates species dating to the mammoths period. The primitive bison occupied almost entire mid-latitude Eurasia and North America. According to scientists, in the Pleistocene epoch, these animals lived on the territory of modern Yakutia alongside mammoths. Later on, due to the hunting and habitat destruction, the animal was threatened with extinction and consequently listed on the international Red Data Book.
"Pleistocene Park received the first batch of bison from Denmark in spring 2019. Despite the long trip, the animals got adjusted quickly to the Siberian frosts, demonstrating that re-introduction into Siberia is possible," he said. "This year, we plan to receive another batch of bison. Most likely, we shall bring the animals from Latvia, which has been breeding steppe bison."
Scientists distinguish between two bison subspecies - steppe and wood ones based on the anatomy and fur. The steppe bison has a bigger head; it is smaller and lighter than the wood bison.
The scientist stressed Pleistocene Park also needs state support to buy muskoxen. "Muskoxen are rare animals, they are not available on the market," he told TASS. "While we have managed to find bison in Denmark and we can arrange for their delivery, it would be much more complicated to find and transport muskoxen. They are not available as there are no breeding farms that have a sufficient number of animals."
Restoring the ecosystem
Pleistocene Park is in Yakutia’s north-east, in the lower reaches of the Kolyma River. It is 30 km south of Chersky village and 150 km south of the Arctic coast. Nikita Zimov founded the park in 1996. Since then, it has become home to several species of large herbivores - reindeer, Yakutian horses, elk, steppe bison, bison, muskoxen, yaks, Kalmyk cows and sheep. In April 2020, a batch of 14 Yakutian horses was delivered to the park.
Yakutian horses inhabit most of Yakutia and are well adapted to the harsh climate. They are the park’s main grazing animals and the most adjusted ones to foraging from under deep snow. Horses were the first animals brought to Pleistocene Park back in 1996, due to their cost and availability in the region.
Pleistocene Park’s objective is to re-introduce preserved megafauna species to recreate the soils and landscapes, typical of the mammoth tundra steppes. The project is intended to recreate the highly productive grass cover. So far, according to the park’s managers, the number of animals in the Arctic is at least 100 times lower than it was in the late Pleistocene. Modern Arctic ecosystems can maintain a very limited number of animals and do not give economic benefits to humans, scientists say.
"We have been working to restore highly productive pasture ecosystems. About 15,000 years ago, in the Pleistocene period, in Yakutia’s north-east, where our park is located, there used to live mammoths, bison and deer. Later on, the climate changed, and humans came here. We want to restore the ecosystem and we have been trying to prove that it will be useful both from the point of view of the economy, and from the point of view of the local population, and, of course, for the climate," the scientist said.
Bigger livestock and artificial support of the animals’ high-density will create a different vegetation and new grass communities. Eventually, a highly productive ecosystem will emerge, experts say.
Human resources for the park
In 2020, Pleistocene Park became a resident of the Russian Arctic Zone. The park will enjoy lower taxes and insurance payments, and thus will spend more money on further experiments, on everyday work and on buying new species of animals.
Consequently, the park will hire more personnel. "Our main focus is the scientific station," Zimov said. "We have been monitoring the permafrost and the greenhouse gases’ emissions for many years. And we need somebody to monitor the equipment and diesel, used to produce electricity."
About 200 applications have come in response to the job offer. "It is not a problem to find people, who meet the requirements," he continued. "However, our other vacancies include veterinarians and zootechnicians. As for these offers, no one has applied as yet."
Another vacancy is the warden. It could be taken by a divorced man, in late middle age. "Ideally, we would welcome a couple," he added. "Another option is to employ young specialists."