Shahdag National Park is a truly heaven for biodiversity,
offering a glimpse into the natural wonders and providing a
sanctuary for remarkable animal species.
Spanning over 115,895 hectares, Shahdag National Park was
established in December 2006 to preserve precious ecosystems.
The park's towering heights contribute to its diverse climate,
flourishing flora, and abundant wildlife.
Diverse Flora and Fauna
Within the park, one can find a variety of tree species,
including the Caucasian Oak, Caucasian and European Hornbeam,
Oriental Hornbeam, Oriental Beech, Silver Birch, Birch, Common Yew,
White Willow, Common Walnut, and Wild Cherry.
The national park is home to the rare East Caucasian tur, a
mountain dwelling goat antelope found only in the eastern half of
the Caucasus Mountains. Other large mammals found here are the
Caucasian, Bezoar ibex, domestic goat, Caucasian lynx, Syrian brown
bear, wild boar, Indian wolf, common jackal, common jungle cat, red
fox, roe deer as well as bison that truly captivates nature
enthusiasts.
Together with the newly arrived bison, brought from Germany's
Tierpark Berlin Zoo, the number of bison in Shahdag National Park
has reached 61. Ten bisons were brought to Azerbaijan from Germany
as part of the bison reintroduction project implemented by the IDEA
Public Union, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and the
WWF Azerbaijan.
The newly brought bison will be kept in an aviary for some time.
After the adaptation, they will be released into the territory of
the Shahdag National Park.
Since the end of 2012, IDEA Public Union, the Ministry of
Ecology and Natural Resources and the World Wildlife Fund in
Azerbaijan (WWF) have been intensively working on the
reintroduction of bison into the wild nature of our country.
In accordance with the Cooperation Agreement signed between IDEA
Public Union and Shahdag National Park, 305 hectares of land has
been allocated in the Ismailli section of Shahdag National Park for
the restoration of extinct bison and their reintroduction to the
nature of the country, and the breeding of other types of wild
animals for scientific purposes. was done.
Since May 2019, buffaloes have been brought to Azerbaijan from
Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
The project is expected to be continued until 2028 and the
number of bison will reach 100.
GPS bags are worn around the necks of bison brought to
Azerbaijan to be constantly monitored. After two years of
adaptation in the said area, the bison are released into the wild
with GPS devices attached to their necks in order to track their
movement trajectories and collect information about their
lifestyles at a later stage.
Although bison were once common in Eurasia in a very wide range,
at the beginning of the last century, their population in the wild
almost disappeared.
The last bison in the Caucasus Mountains was killed in 1927. The
vast majority of bison in the world are bred in zoos, and efforts
to restore the species continue in this way.
Taking into account the potential role of bison in the further
enrichment of biodiversity in Azerbaijan and the development of
forest ecosystems, the project organizers call on the population
living in the northern parts and the general public to support the
return of Caucasus bison to the Azerbaijani nature, their
protection, and prevention of illegal hunting.