MOSCOW, August 15. /TASS Correspondent Dmitry Osipov/. Nikita Zimov, a business resident of the Russian Federation's Arctic Zone, continues a unique scientific experiment in the Far North. His work is not just about studying ecosystems, since the scientist is trying to change the future by restoring the Ice Ace nature. The experiment continues is in the Pleistocene Park in northeastern Yakutia's Nizhnekolymsky District, where experts are recreating the ecosystem of the Late Pleistocene, the era of mammoths. They bring into the tundra animals capable of transforming it into a steppe.
Following in the footsteps of father
Nikita Zimov sees his goal in returning nature to the way it used to be before people began changing it. A certain time ago, in the north, in the place of forests, used to be huge steppes where mammoths and bison were grazing. The scientist's idea is to slow down global warming by introducing "mammoth steppes".
Nikita continues the work of his father, a well-known scientist - Sergei Zimov, who founded a scientific station near the village of Chersky in 1980. Nikita was brought there at the age of two.
"I grew up here, went to school in Chersky. At the age of 14, I went to Novosibirsk to study physics and mathematics, further on I graduated from the Novosibirsk State University, and at the age of 20 I came back," he said.
Since then, he has been working at the station, initially as a researcher and a park employee. With time, the father passed the business to the son, who has been running the park for 12 years.
Many people, who live in villages, dream of life on the mainland. "As for people who live closer to nature, they rather can't be driven to living on the mainland. Just to travel to see, to relax - yes, some have kids who study there, and so on. Not many are able to leave the North," the park's director continued.
Nikita studied at a postgraduate school in Vladivostok, but did not defend his PhD. However, he has many publications in prestigious journals, and the Hirsch index is 29 (a quantitative characteristic of a scientist's productivity, a value from 16 and higher is assigned to a world-renowned scientist).
- High scientific indicators, right, but I have never defended my PhD thesis. It has never been necessary, and besides, here I've been always short of time. My work is not by the desk. Tomorrow - to be digging the earth, in a month - to be catching musk oxen at sea. That's why I work out: I ski whenever I have a chance, - he said.
Every short Arctic summer is a struggle with time. The priority is an expedition to the Begichev Islands in the Laptev Sea - home to a growing population of musk oxen. In 2024, the voyage failed: the ship had to wait for better ice conditions for a month on its way to the Arctic islands. The idea is to repeat the expedition this year.
Veterinarians from Moscow and specialists of Yakutia's Ministry of Ecology have arrived in Chersky. The trip one way takes almost a week. The expedition wants to catch 15 animals and bring them to the park.
Return to the Pleistocene
The experiment's idea is to restore in the Arctic the mammoth steppe, which prevailed there in the Late Pleistocene epoch. Scientists hope animals will stop the permafrost melting and slow down greenhouse gas emissions.
- Modern Arctic plants - mosses and lichens - have weak roots, while pasture cereals develop deep root systems to capture carbon dioxide and bury it into the soil. This turns the Arctic soil into a giant reservoir of carbon, - he explained.
Scientific work is the project's key element. The Pleistocene Park is first of all a research site.
- The more we are doing this, the more we realize we still know nothing. Even in theory. We've been searching for answers, and we'd be happy if experts joined in," he said.
The scientists are finalizing analysis of carbon content in the soil. The research compares the park's areas where the animals have grazed and reference areas - from 2018 to 2024.
- We are studying to what extent the park could be considered a carbon landfill. That is, whether it absorbs CO· and stores it in the soil. This is an important argument when we speak about climate benefits, - Nikita said.
The Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics has studied albedo - the surface reflectivity.
- In spring, when everything is under the snow cover, the difference between open pastures and forests is enormous. Pastures reflect more light and cool the air more strongly. We need to have it proved scientifically, otherwise everything remains in theory.
The research results will form the basis for future publications. This, the scientist added, is important both to attract attention and to seek support.
- While we are here, at the edge of the world, doing this experiment, it doesn't bother anyone. But if we want to scale, we need allies - among scientists, the society, and the authorities. For this, we need solid evidence.
Who inhabits the park
About 150 animals live in the park on the area of 16 square kilometers - Yakut horses, reindeer, musk oxen, bison, yaks, moose, camels, Kalmyk cows, sheep and goats.
- We have stopped there for now. Nowadays, the concern is to remain working, - he said commenting on further expansion.
They often take pets to the park to make them "feral."
- What matters is not the origin, but the function, - the scientist said. - Goats, for example, eat the vegetation we need. Perhaps when predators appear, they won't survive. So far, we have experimental conditions.
Musk oxen and American bison have adapted best.
- For musk oxen, this is their native land, and we here are even in a slightly more southern area than the places they are used to. American steppe bison are also truly fine. And, in fact, forest bison, which Yakutia's Ministry of Ecology have been settling here, also feel fine in Yakutia, - the scientist said.
Almost all animals in the park are fed. Bison like mixed feed, horses prefer oats. Musk oxen can do without feeding though would never refuse mixed feed.
All animals live in fenced areas. Interspecific aggression is minimal. Yakut horses are most active:
- Even the bison would rush away from them. It's just because no one has told them they are twice as powerful.
Camels are fed the most. They prefer branches and are useful since they are 'trimming' tall bushes very actively. Thus, they take an important ecological niche in the park. Besides, they are the friendliest among the park's inhabitants.
- All others may allow getting close to them, especially in winter, during feeding. In fact, normally, as you approach 10-15 meters, they start retreating. We do not have aggressive animals, and there haven't been cases of attacks on people. Sure, we don't provoke them, of course. We do not really need to communicate with animals. We try keeping them on their own, without insisting on communication with us, - the park's director continued.
Towards scaling
Right now, the Pleistocene Park occupies only a small part of the territory, which, according to estimations, should be rather at least ten times bigger to be able to influence the climate.
-We need at least 150 square kilometers to form a sustainable ecosystem, - the scientist said.
The key task is to introduce predators. Without them, herbivores may overload pastures and upset the balance.
- We've been seriously considering Amur tigers and even lions. In the Pleistocene, cave lions used to live here - they are genetically closer to African ones. They would get adapted, the hair would grow. The main thing is food. It's like with tigers in the Primorsky [Region]: it's not the cold that bothers them, but the lack of prey. Bears are rare visitors to the park. In the spring, when hungry, they may come to the pens. This year, we used drones to repel three bears. By the way, as for wolves, about which reindeer herders are complaining, we've had none. Probably, for now," the scientist said.
Two permanent rangers
- Whenever we need to build fences, we organize a team of five people. Senior ranger Vadim Kaurgin has been working for a few years, others are often different. Some would leave for personal reasons, others - because of alcohol problems. This is a common problem, unfortunately.
They also have volunteers and remote assistants. For example, Alexander Korchemkin communicates on social networks and manages external relations, though he has never been to the park. Some new people would write from time to time.
- A young girl, who works in IT, has come to us as a volunteer. She's been analyzing soil samples collected in the park in 2018 and 2024. We welcome volunteers, but there are problems with infrastructures and logistics. Some would wonder: how can you arrive in June to leave only in August? - Nikita said.
Third-party partners also help. For example, late last year, Nikolay Chechulin, an enthusiast from Moscow, spent almost three weeks delivering rare animals to the Pleistocene Park. He took the tedious journey crossing the Arctic Ocean, from Arkhangelsk to Yakutia's shores, and delivered 13 musk oxen calves. He was the park's business partner - sharing a fixed part of profit from his pet store with the park.
Despite all difficulties, the team continues doing experiments at the intersection of science, nature and dreams.
- If we manage to do what we want, this will change people's lives for centuries to come, - said Nikita Zimov. - Our team is engaged in not just science, we have been working on a significant society, history, and even civilization-wise project. Humans have always struggled against nature, and this has led us to where we are now: disappearing species, declining biodiversity, changing climate and habitat. We have been working to change the trend. If we succeed, this will change everything.