25 August 2022
With the 7th Eastern Economic Forum
coming up that is supported by the Roscongress Foundation, the presentation of
Kamchatka Falcon Centre in Milkovsky District of Kamchatka Territory is planned
with the participation of young ornithologists and realized for performance of
the orders of the Russian President.
A group of young ornithologists is formed from local
high school students on the basis of existing Centre infrastructure. The Centre
specialists took patronage over young ornithologists and provide training for
enthusiastic children introducing them the work and features of the Centre for
rare bird of prey reintroduction and conservation.
The Centre is located on the Milkovsky District. Its
total area is about 300 hectares. It houses a nursery for 200 pair of falcons,
aviaries for 1,000 young falcons, a tower for flights and a multifunctional
ornithological centre.
“Falcons are indispensable symbol of Kamchatka. It
is on our land where the largest population of gyrfalcon lives. It is also
depicted on the coat of arms of the Milkovsky District of the Kamchatka
Territory, where now there is the largest centre for reproduction and
restoration of falcons in Russia. The combination of these factors has sparked
my further interest in falcon breeding craft. I am very pleased that I can
participate personally in the work with rare birds of prey on the Centre basis,
where the most advanced technologies are used which are not always affordable
to people interested in their breeding and special training for hunting and
competitions,” Alexandra Sepko, 10 “A” class, school 2, Milkovo, said.
According to Shukhrat Razakov, General Director of
the Centre, it is planned to prepare the first Russian team from the most
promising guys in the near future to participate in international competitions
in the so-called falconry which is very popular in Arab countries and quite new
for our country.
We intend to work on training future falconers on
the basis of the Kamchatka Falcon Centre. Working with birds of prey requires
not only special knowledge and skills, but also a special disposition, if you
want “state of mind”. Our task is to highlight the guys who are promising in
terms of falconry, those who are able to understand falcons, teach them the
right interaction with a person, namely the art of hunting,” Shukhrat Razakov noted.
The Kamchatka Falcon Centre was created with the
support of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian
Federation, the Roscongress Foundation and the Government of the Kamchatka
Territory.
“Our falcon centre is a unique project on a global
scale. Until now there has been no centre aimed at growing and reproducing
birds of prey. Those who deal with gyrfalcons know that birds grown in
Kamchatka are considered one of the best falcons. Therefore, I am sure that our
centre will become a landmark in the development of the population and the
formation of the culture of responsible attitude towards these unique birds,”
Vladimir Solodov, Governor of the Kamchatka Territory.
It should be reminded that the construction of the
centre was carried out in accordance with the order of the President of Russia
on the development, approval and implementation of a comprehensive plan for the
creation of centres for reintroduction and conservation of the population of
falcon family. The project is being implemented by the Kamchatka Falcon Centre
in the Kamchatka priority development area under an agreement with the Far East
and Arctic Development Corporation. The Roscongress Foundation is a co-investor
of the project.
For the first time the falcon centre construction
project was presented at the Eastern Economic Forum in 2019.
The centre will allow to organize the breeding of
the most valuable species of Falconiformes – the white Kamchatka gyrfalcon morph – and will create a base for the restoration of the gyrfalcon in
Kamchatka. Its work will also be aimed at fight against poaching.