Rosneft supported an expedition to study wild reindeer in Western Taimyr. Scientists from the Siberian Federal University (SibFU) and the Taimyr nature reserves conducted comprehensive surveys of the number of animals and their migration routes in order to update the data on the status of the Taimyr-Evenki population. The research was carried out using water transport and amphibious aircraft, among other things.

Rosneft is committed to environment-oriented campaigns and biodiversity preservation activities. The Arctic Research Centre implements the most ambitious programme for studying the Arctic region since Soviet times. Over 12 years, more than 50 expeditions have been carried out, during which scientists have studied the region’s hydrometeorological, geological and biological peculiarities. This has resulted in a unique body of information on the Arctic’s climate, nature and wildlife.

The expedition to study wild reindeer covered a total distance of over 2,800 kilometres by boat, with an additional 360,000 square kilometres covered by aerial observations. Experts discovered a subpopulation of at least 100 reindeer on Sibiryakov Island. The emergence and settlement of island populations is of great interest to scientists. As a rule, reindeer reach the islands via the ice, but SibFU specialists recently documented a reindeer crossing 12 kilometres of water.

Rosneft has been studying wild reindeer since 2014. During this time, comprehensive ground and aerial surveys of the animals have been conducted in Evenkia and Taimyr. Using satellite tags, the scientists were able to track the full annual migration cycle of the reindeer for the first time, enabling them to identify seasonal behavioural patterns.

The research is being carried out as part of Rosneft’s biodiversity conservation programme, Tamura. The Company’s Arctic Research Centre is implementing the programme. Between 2024 and 2027, studies of reindeer and birds on the Taimyr Peninsula and fish in the Yenisei River estuary are planned. In total, there will be ten expeditions over the four-year period.

Department of Information and Advertising
Rosneft
September 17, 2024

Keywords: Environmental news 2024