Traditionally, in early August, the indigenous peoples of the North celebrate Reindeer Day, the professional holiday of reindeer herders.

Wild reindeer population is a crucial part of Arctic ecosystems. Rosneft conducts many years of R&D projects dedicated to the comprehensive study of the Arctic, including the study of key bioindicator species and the conservation of biodiversity in the Russian Arctic.

Rosneft continued its biodiversity conservation programme, under which research expeditions of the Arctic Science Centre (part of Rosneft's corporate research and development complex) are planned in the north of the Krasnoyarsk region during 2024-2027. The scientific work is carried out under the Agreement with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation, which was signed in June this year within the framework of the 27th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

In July, a field expedition to count wild reindeer started in western Taymyr. During research, specialists use a wide range of equipment, including polar aircraft with increased fuel reserves and laboratory aircraft modified to install special equipment, helicopters, sea and river vessels of various types.

The programme includes studies in the floodplain of the Pyasina River and its major tributaries. Aerial monitoring, hiking and water routes, satellite transmitter tagging of reindeer and assessment of the reindeer capacity of the main pastures are planned to be carried out.

Rosneft and the Siberian Federal University have been researching the state of the wild reindeer population in the Krasnoyarsk region since 2014. The focus of the research is to assess the abundance and study the migrations of the Taimyr population of the species.

In 2020-2023, the largest aerial surveys of reindeer in the eastern Taymir were conducted. There were also arranged hiking and water routes along the Kheta and Khatanga rivers. The results of the research have shown that there is a trend towards recovery of the wild reindeer population, and according to tentative estimates, the wild herd of reindeer in the eastern Taymir is numbered up to 330,000 individuals.

Rosneft
Information Division
August 2, 2024

Keywords: Environmental news 2024