No nature places in Azerbaijan

There are practically no places of nature in Azerbaijan as a result of permanent human interference in preserves, President of the Azerbaijan Animal protection Society Azer Garayev told AssA-Irada Monday. He has recently been back from an international workshop “Preserve keeping in public cognizance: ethic and cultural aspects” in Kiev, the Ukraine.

According to him, cattle are often pastured in preserves, while the Shirvan preserve has turned into the so-called farm of breeding gazelles, with other species left to recurrent hunting.

National scholars, as elsewhere in the CIS, exterminate tens of thousands of species for scientific purposes, showing no mercy for endangered animals and birds. Especially noted was shooting of pregnant species for productivity researches. The experience of countries that apply softer methods in preserve-area researches has not been adopted yet.

True wildlife should be free from any human interference, construction, motor roads, etc, A. Garayev said. The workshop endorsed the conception that wildlife is not for humans, but is a separate world of nature that cannot be trespassed.

The workshop organized by the Kiev Ecology and Culture Center, ESPA/IUCN and the Wildlife Preservation Center was held as part of the international Tribune program.*