| Sochi National Park | |
|---|---|
| Russian:Сочинский (Also: Sochinsky) | |
 European Bison, in Sochi NP | |
  Location of Park Show map of Krasnodar Krai Sochi National Park (Russia) Show map of Russia | |
| Location | Krasnodar Krai |
| Nearest city | Sochi |
| Area | 193,737hectares (478,735acres; 748 sq mi) |
| Established | 1983 (1983) |
| Governing body | Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (Russia) |
| Website | https://npsochi.ru/ |
Sochi National Park (Russian:Сочинский национальный парк, alsoSochinsky National Park) is Russia's oldestnational park, established on May 5, 1983.[1] It is located in theWestern Caucasus, near the city ofSochi, in SouthernRussia.[2]
Sochi National Park covers 1,937.37 square kilometres (478,730 acres) within theWestern CaucasusWorld Heritage Site. The park occupies theGreater Sochi area, from the border with theTuapsinsky District, between the mouths of Shepsi River and Magri River in the north-west, to the border withAbkhazia along thePsou River in the south-east, and between theBlack Sea to thewater divide crest of theGreater Caucasus. Immediately to the north is theCaucasus Nature Reserve. The park does not include areas of settlement, such as the city of Sochi and various urban and rural settlements, nor the area of theCaucasian Biosphere Reserve.
In 2009, aPersian Leopard Breeding and Rehabilitation Centre was created in Sochi National Park, where two male leopards fromTurkmenistan have been kept since September 2009. Additionally, two female Persian leopards fromIran have been kept since May 2010. Their descendants will be released into the wild in theCaucasus Biosphere Reserve.[3][4] Once widespread in the mountainous region sandwiched by the Black and Caspian Seas, the Persian leopard population fell drastically amid poaching and habitat loss in the 20th century.[5] In 2012, a pair of Persian leopards were brought to the Sochi National park fromPortugal'sLisbon Zoo. In July 2013, the pair had alitter, the first Persian leopard cubs known to be born in Russia in 50 years. The cubs will be released into the wild after learning survival skills from their parents, according to Natalia Dronova, theWWF-Russia species coordinator.[5]
and recreation map of national park Sochi
