On October 14, a very important event was marked in the Breeding Center of Caucasian red deer of the Dilijan National Park: 3 deer were released into nature.
The festive event was attended by Minister of Environment Hakob Simidyan, Deputy Ministers Aram Meimaryan and Tigran Gabrielyan, Governor of Tavush Hayk Galumyan, Mayor of Dilijan David Sargsyan, Head of the Inspection Body for Nature and Subsoil Protection Hovhannes Martirosyan, Director of the Armenian Branch of the World Wide Fund for Nature Karen Manvelyan, Executive Director of the Caucasus Nature Foundation (CNF) Tobias Munchmeier, representatives of professional departments of the Ministry, Dilijan National Park, international organizations and mass media.
Welcoming the participants and guests of the event, the Minister first congratulated those present on the joyful event and again stressed the importance of restoring the balance of nature.
There was no such process in the past, and this by its nature is also an experience of a very important path for us, which will further help us in filling our gaps in restoring biodiversity and ecosystems.":
The Minister expressed gratitude to the employees of the Dilijan National Park, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Caucasus Nature Foundation (CNF) for their long-term efforts in establishing the program.
In his speech, the Minister also noted the importance of preserving animals in nature, expecting the support of local governments, other government departments and the legal awareness of citizens.
Karen Manvelyan, Director of the Armenian Branch of the World Wide Fund for Nature, Tobias Munchmeier, Executive Director of the Caucasus Nature Foundation, Arman Vermishyan, National Coordinator of the Caucasus Nature Foundation (CNF), delivered speeches:
Then, with the help of direct connection cameras, those present watched the ceremony of releasing the deer into nature.
Since 2014, the Armenian branch of the World Wide Fund for Nature, together with the Ministry of Environment, has been implementing the program "Resettlement of Caucasian Red Deer in Armenia", which is supported by the Federal Republic of Germany through the KfW Development Bank, WWF - Germany and the Caucasus Nature Foundation (CNF).
Within the framework of the above program, 14 individuals were transported from the Islamic Republic of Iran to Armenia in 2018. The deer were taken to the Dilijan National Park, where a Deer Breeding Center was built.:
To date, 21 deer have been born in the center, and as part of this event, we plan to release the first pilot group to the Dilijan National Park.
In the coming years, it is planned to release from 5 to 10 individuals per year into nature.