Sochier National Park

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Waterfall in the national park

The Sochi National Park ( Russian Сочинский национальный парк ) is a national park in the northwest of the Caucasus near the city of Sochi ( Russia ). The protected area covers a total area of ​​1,937 square kilometers and borders the Caucasus Nature Reserve in the northeast . The park was designated in 1983, making it Russia's first national park. It is visited by around 80,000 people every year.

vegetation

95% of the national park is dominated by mountain forests, which have a subtropical character in the lower elevations and grow as cripple tree forests above 1700 m. In between, temperate deciduous and mixed forests dominate. Above the cripple trees are alpine meadows, with only a few mountains reaching a height of over 2000 m. The highest mountain is the Aibga with 2509 m.

Wildlife

The species-rich reserve is home to over 250 different vertebrate species. The reserve's larger mammals include bison , maral red deer , roe deer , chamois , West Caucasian ibex , brown bears , wild boars , wolves , golden jackals , red foxes , badgers , Caucasian otters and lynxes . Among the small mammals, the Caucasian squirrel and the rare long-winged bat are worth mentioning. Several large species of eagles , including golden eagles , steppe eagles , imperial eagles , and osprey , are found in the area. Among the total of 126 bird species the park also include addition griffon vulture , bearded vulture , Caucasian grouse and Caucasian Snowcock .

Among the 17 species of reptiles are Maurische Tortoise , Caucasus Otter , Äskulapnatter , Caspian whipsnake , Slim Natter , dice snake , Ringelnatter , giant green lizards , Zauneidechse , Caucasian Wiesbaden lizard , rock lizard , blindworm and Sheltopusik worth mentioning. The nine amphibian species also include two endangered species, the banded newt ( Triturus vittatus ) and the Caucasian mud diver . Local fish include trout , bleak and tailor .

A project carried out by WWF and the Russian government is pursuing the reintroduction of the Persian leopard in the western Caucasus, which is only found sporadically in the eastern Caucasus. For this purpose, leopards from Turkmenistan were brought into large outdoor enclosures in the Caucasus. Their offspring are to be released there.

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Coordinates: 43 ° 40 ′ 0 ″  N , 39 ° 50 ′ 0 ″  E