Of all the sights and unique objects of the Moscow region, the Prioksko-Terrasny reserve deserves special attention - known throughout the world for its active work on the restoration of the bison population. This place delights fans of ecotourism, families with children and people who are simply not indifferent to nature. Any visitor to the region should visit the reserve; its tour desk is open every day.
Where is the Prioksko-Terrasny reserve located and what is famous for
This protected zone is the smallest of all reserves in Russia, the area located on the left bank of the Oka does not exceed 4945 hectares, some of which are occupied by adjoining areas. No more than 4,710 hectares are under the special protection of the state.
The same reserve is notorious as the last surviving place in the Moscow region with a clean ecology, not least due to its entry into the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (there are 41 in Russia) and work to restore the population of purebred bison and expand their gene pool.
History of discovery and development
The need to restore the bison population at the beginning of the 20th century was obvious. In 1926, there were no more than 52 living individuals in all zoos in the world. The titanic work in this direction was interrupted by the Second World War, after which special protective zones and nurseries were almost immediately opened in the USSR and other European countries. At the time of the resumption of work (June 19, 1945), the Prioksko-Terrasny area was part of the Moscow State Reserve along with 4 others, it received an independent status only in April 1948.
Due to the difficult economic situation and the development of infrastructure, in 1951 all reserves, except for the Prioksko-Terrasny in the Moscow region, were closed. The site with uncharacteristic vegetation for the southern Moscow region ("Okskaya Flora") was saved only thanks to the Central Bison Nursery opened nearby.
Realizing the danger of such trends, scientists and management began to seek the status of a state natural biosphere reserve and entry into the network of UNESCO reserves. Their efforts were crowned with success in 1979; at present, the territory of the reserve is continuously monitoring environmental indicators and changes in natural formations within the framework of all-Russian and international programs.
Flora and fauna of the Prioksko-Terrasny reserve
It's worth starting with plants: there are at least 960 higher plants in the reserve, 93% of the territory is occupied by deciduous and mixed forests. The remainder falls on the ancient steppe forests, relict sphagnum bogs and fragments of the "Oka flora" - unique areas of steppe vegetation in meadows and floodplains near the river. By maintaining environmental performance at a constant altitude, walking the nature reserve trails is a pleasant experience in itself.
The fauna is not inferior to flora and even surpasses it in some way: the Prioksko-Terrasny reserve is home to 140 species of birds, 57 mammals, 10 amphibians and 5 reptiles. Taking into account the relatively small area, there are even too many artiodactyls in the forests of the reserve - elk, red and sika deer, roe deer are found everywhere and are especially noticeable in winter. Wild boars are seen less often; the fox is the most predatory animal on the territory. The original inhabitants of the area - lagomorphs, squirrels, ermines, forest ferrets and other rodents - are represented by 18 species and are quite common.
The main feature and pride of the reserve is the residence of about 50-60 bison and 5 American bison on its territory. The former are kept in conditions as close as possible to their natural environment on a 200 hectare fenced area in order to restore the population, the latter - to obtain research data on adaptation and demonstration of animals to visitors. The threat of extinction of these species was more than tangible, without the existence of the central nursery of the Prioksko-Terrasny reserve and similar protected zones in other countries, subsequent generations would see them only in pictures and photos.
Over the years of the nursery's work, more than 600 bison were born and raised, inhabited in the forests of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Lithuania in order to restore the natural gene pool. With the estimated possibilities of keeping up to 60 animals in the nursery, no more than 25 large individuals permanently live there. Despite the elimination of the obvious threat of extinction of their population from the face of the Earth (more than 2/3 of 7000 heads live in the wild), work on the return of bison to the natural environment is ongoing, the category of bison is the first in the Red Book of Russia. Directly in the Russian Federation, young animals are relocated to the forests of the Smolensk, Bryankovsk and Kaluga regions, the chances of their survival and independent reproduction are quite high.
How to get to the reserve
When traveling by your own or a rented car, you should be guided by the address: Moscow Region, Serpukhovsky District, Danki. When leaving Moscow, you need to move south along the E-95 and M2 highways up to the Serpukhov / Danki and Zapovednik signs. When using public transport, the road will take longer: first, by train you need to get to the station. Serpukhov (about 2 hours from the Kursk railway station), then by buses (routes number 21, 25 and 31, at least 35 minutes on the way) - directly to the stop. "Reserve". The bus departure frequency is poor and it is recommended to start the journey as early as possible when choosing this option.
Information for visitors
Prioksko-Terrasny Nature Reserve is open for visits every day, from Monday to Friday excursions start at 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00, on weekends and holidays - hourly, from 9:00 to 16:00. Individual tours should be agreed in advance, the group leaves subject to a set of 5 to 30 adults. It will not be possible to enter the reserve without an escort of employees.
The ticket price depends on the route chosen (with a minimum of 400 rubles for adults and 200 for children from 7 to 17 years old). Visiting the high-altitude trail and ecological park is paid separately. Visitors of preschool age enter the territory free of charge, subject to the provision of relevant documents and issuance of a pass at the checkout.
When planning a trip, it is worth remembering the risk of missing a group on weekdays and the possible change in opening hours on holidays. The Eco-trail "Through the foliage" and the eco-park "Derevo-Dom" are closed in winter, during the same period it is recommended to dress as warmly as possible for a walk (1.5-2 hours of walking in a classic temperate continental climate dictate their own conditions, snow cover in uncleaned areas reaches 50 cm). You should not refuse a trip at this time - it is in the winter and off-season that most of the livestock goes to the feeding troughs, in the summer bison and bison go deeper.
We advise you to look at the Tauric Chersonesos.
There are strict rules on the excursion territory (including a ban on the passage with pets) aimed at the safety of this unique zone and ensuring the safety of the visitors themselves, violators pay a fine of 5,000 rubles.
Interesting facts and suggestions
The activities of the Prioksko-Terrasny Reserve are aimed at protecting natural complexes and objects, collecting scientific data, breeding bison and environmental education. But this does not mean a refusal to attract the attention of visitors; moreover, special programs and offers were introduced to increase the flow of guests. The most unusual of them was the "Adopt a Bison" program with the provision of annual maintenance for the individual you liked and the choice of the name of the little bison. At the same time, the management does not abandon the funny rule of the International Crane Studbook concerning bison - all the names of the cubs begin with the syllables "Mu" or "Mo".
The interest of visitors to the Prioksko-Terrasny Reserve is also attracted by:
- Hot air balloon rides and pony rides.
- All kinds of actions, including the All-Russian Children's Ecological Festival and "open days" for volunteer services and travel operators. Many promotions and conferences are international, announcements of each of them are posted on the official website.
- The ability to observe animals on a 5-meter tower.
- Free access to the art composition "Seasons" with 3D images of bison and mirroring the landscape.
