Guests of the National Centre RUSSIA learned how to help the environment and wildlife
As part of
the exclusive program "Thursday. Development," the National Centre
RUSSIA hosted an educational event titled "Zoo World: Animals and Us"
on March 13. The event focused on pressing issues of environmental and wildlife
protection. Experts spoke to the guests of the National Centre RUSSIA about the
relationship between humans and nature and invited them to reflect on how each
person can contribute to making the planet a better place for all its
inhabitants.
Acting
Director of the Losiny Ostrov National Park, Olga Shulgina, spoke about the
role of specially protected natural areas in the preservation of wildlife and
explained what city residents can do to help maintain biodiversity.
"In
order to preserve biodiversity, we conduct various activities, including
scientific research, environmental education, territorial protection, and even
educational tourism. For example, our 'Deer Trail' is very popular — while
walking along it, people also experience different textures underfoot, which
provides a great foot massage and amazing therapy. I believe that simply
establishing specially protected natural areas like our National Park is
already a tremendous contribution to biodiversity conservation. And anyone can
help us in this effort — for instance, by joining our volunteer program,"
said Olga Shulgina.
Methodologist
of the Scientific and Methodological Department of the world's oldest Moscow
Zoo, Nikolai Karpov, emphasized the importance of zoos in preserving rare
animal species. He also noted that the Moscow Zoo houses the largest animal
collection in the world, with 1,253 species.
"The
biodiversity of our planet is extremely fragile, and the loss of even a single,
seemingly insignificant species can trigger a domino effect with unpredictable
consequences. That is why zoos around the world not only introduce visitors to
various forms of living organisms but also implement conservation programs.
Thanks to these programs, many animals bred in zoos are later reintroduced into
the wild. As a result, zoos help ensure that many species are not lost
forever," stressed Nikolai Karpov.
The project
manager for training and development at the Four Paws Foundation, veterinarian
Artem Demin, noted that last year alone, the foundation managed to collect over
128,500 kg of dry and wet pet food and more than 47,000 veterinary medications
for 158 shelters housing cats and dogs. Using the example of caring for
companion animals, he explained that the fate of nature and the animal world
depends on each of us.
"The
number of domestic animals is growing every year, and our task is to ensure
that as few animals as possible remain on the streets. And your task is to
understand that a pet is a full-fledged family member with its own habits,
character, and needs. If you are not ready for this, it is better not to get a
pet yet. So let’s start with ourselves — let’s not abandon our pets, and then
everything will be just fine," Artem Demin addressed the audience.
The educational
event "Zoo World: Animals and Us" was organized in partnership with
the Russian society Znanie, the Moscow Zoo, the Losiny Ostrov National Park,
and the Four Paws pet store chain.
The
National Centre RUSSIA’s exclusive program, "Thursday. Development,"
offers engaging meetings with experts from various fields who share insights
into their work, present achievements, provide professional advice and
recommendations useful to a broad audience, and answer questions from
attendees. These events foster discussions, broaden perspectives, and encourage
collaborative exploration of effective solutions to industry challenges.
Registration
for the "Thursday. Development" program is free. Up-to-date
information can be found on the National Centre RUSSIA website, russia.ru, in
the "Events" section.
Event photobank
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