Rare species

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Together with other organizations and partner foundations, Siberian Wellness is developing large-scale conservation projects aimed at protecting rare animals and birds, with a special focus on endemic species.

Annual donations for these projects: 30 million rubles.

Rare species

help out

Our key projects

Hear the bowhead whale

As a result of ruthless whaling, almost all the bowhead whales in the Okhotsk region have been completely exterminated. Their numbers do not exceed 300–400 individuals (formerly 4,000). Fishing nets, uncontrolled tourism and passing ships, which can injure or even kill the whale, also pose a serious threat as well.

Annual donations: 5.3 million rubles.

save the bowhead whale!

Let's save snow leopards

Snow leopards are rare mammals of the feline family. They often fall prey to poachers or are caught in traps and loops set for other animals. As their main prey (wild ungulates) decreases in their habitat, snow leopards are forced to attack livestock. In response, cattlemen kill the predators. Climate and ecosystems change, and infrastructure development in their habitats is also contributing to the rapid decline of the snow leopard population.

Annual donations: 6 million rubles.

save the snow leopard!

Protect the saker falcon

Saker falcons are the most popular hunting falcons. These sharp-sighted hunters with a unique appearance are very much in demand among falconers in Asia and the Middle East. Their population has been greatly reduced due to increased demand on the illegal market.

Annual donations: 5 million rubles.

save the saker falcon!

Protecting the steppe eagle

Over the past 25 years, the number of steppe eagles has declined by 85%. People who till the steppes for farming, develop the land for industry or shoot the birds for fun are also part of the problem. Poaching during bird migration and wintering, as well as fires in nesting areas, cause great damage to the eagle population. Nests located in places where livestock graze or cars drive are destroyed. Recently, cases of bird poisoning due to rodent poisoning with chemicals have become more frequent, and 10% of steppe eagles are dying on power lines.

Annual donations: 2 million rubles.

save the steppe eagle!

Help the reindeer

Reindeer are regularly killed by hunters for meat and their valuable antlers. Another Another two risk factors are uncontrolled tourism and climate change. Herds travel over 3,000 km a year. The migration instinct of reindeer has been developed over thousands of years of migrations. Now, this process is under threat: The timing and routes of migration are shifting, and the fodder base is changing.

Annual donations: 2.5 million rubles.

save the reindeer!

Take care of the Baikal seal

The lack of reliable scientific knowledge about the Baikal seal threatens to lead to critical, negative changes for this seal’s entire population (for example, lifting the ban on shooting them). The egregious cases of poaching and cruel treatment of seals are horrific. Urgent action needs to be taken now.

Annual donations: 1.2 million rubles.

save the Baikal seal!

Experts say

“The NextGIS application will help specialists collect all the data during field expeditions by simply tapping the screen. No more filling out bulky paper forms, as was done before. In conditions of low temperatures and strong winds, this helps save experts' energy, speed up and automate the work."

– Alexander Karnaukhov,
Senior Project Coordinator.

– Natalia Shumeyko, representative of the IUCN Task Force on Protected Marine Mammals for the Caspian Sea, participant of the Year of the Baikal Seal project

"The Baikal seal is endemic, it does not exist anywhere else in the world, which imposes on us, Russians, a special responsibility for its preservation. I am sure that scientific and eco–educational projects that are being implemented on the initiative of the Lake Baikal Foundation and with the active support of people who love Baikal nature, will protect this unique species from degradation and extermination,"

– Igor Karyakin, Ornithologist of the Russian Raptor Conservation and Research Network and the Expert of World Wildlife Fund.

“Today, representatives of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar buy up to 90% saker falcons caught in nature. Falconry is a popular hobby in these countries. This market cannot be satiated: Every year, according to tradition, Arabs set free hunting falcons. Unfortunately, almost all birds die because of the stress they undergo. As ornithologists, we monitor the movement of birds with the help of GPS/GSM trackers, and the data confirm this conclusion."

Popularization

In July 2022, we supported an expedition to Wrangel Bay for the first time. There we met whales and the experts who study and protect them. What we saw made a profound impact. We realized that there are ways to save the population, and they are achievable. Now the bowhead whales in Wrangel Bay are under our custody. And we strive not only to help but also to make this issue widely known.

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