Armenian Nature

[Federate]

Re: Armenian Nature


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Armenian leopards almost completely extinct in wild


YEREVAN, November 16 (RIA Novosti) - Only five to seven leopards remain in the wild in Armenia, Novosti-Armenia news agency reported, citing the Armenian director of the World Wildlife Fund.

"These noble animals are under the threat of extinction," Karen Manvelyan said.

According to him, the main reason leading to the leopards' extinction is poaching.

"Illegal hunting of rare species registered in the Armenian Red Book, including Bezoar ibex, Armenian mouflon sheep, and leopard, has not ceased," Manvelyan said. He added that even the brown bear is hunted out of season.

Manvelyan believes poaching can be solved by creating nature conservation areas.

The conservationist said that Armenia had recently made a historical decision by creating two conservation areas in southern Armenia. Arevik National Park and Zangezur Sanctuary might solve the problem of rare species extinction, he said.

He said that more than 1,500 types of plants, including 24 registered in the Red Data Book of Armenia and 19 endemics, around 245 species of vertebrates, including 49 registered in the RDBA and 12 in the IUCN Red Data List are located in the Arevik National Park.

Zangezur Sanctuary has also become an important conservation park for rare and threatened flora and fauna.

http://en.rian.ru/Environment/20091116/156857319.html

[Catharsis]

Re: Armenian Nature

:
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Armenian leopards almost completely extinct in wild

Tsarukyan, the animal lover, best take heed. The planet has already lost too many species (I believe the statistical numbers for lost species on daily basis ranges from anywhere from 35 to 150 - staggering figures).

Illegally killed endangered Armenian mouflons and bezoar ibexes in the mountains of Syunik by poachers.

More here from Hetq article -

This is a photo taken from the website www.huntineurope.com showing a certain Mr. J. Jones and the huge Bezoar Ibex he shot while on a hunting trip to Armenia this spring. We want to remind you that these animals have been registered in the Armenian Red Book of Endangered Species.

The site urges hunters to travel to Armenia the year round to pursue their passion, especially during the months of March-November. It claims there are two locations in Armenia to hunt for Armenian Bezoar Ibex and Armenian mouflon – the Yeghegis Canyon and the slopes of Mt. Ourts.

The fee paid by hunters for these trophy animals is $6,800 for Armenian mouflon sheep and $5,600 for Bezoar Ibex.

Article here: http://hetq.am/en/ecology/muflon/

[Mos]

Re: Armenian Nature

Yes, yes nature in armenia is beautiful but Yerevan has become a complete desert!! because of cutting down all trees and not planting any new one. People because of this get lung diseases a lot from the dirty air of Yerevan in addition to the smoke of old soviet cars, buses, and of course marshutnis..

[Armanen]

Re: Armenian Nature

Yes, yes nature in armenia is beautiful but Yerevan has become a complete desert!! because of cutting down all trees and not planting any new one. People because of this get lung diseases a lot from the dirty air of Yerevan in addition to the smoke of old soviet cars, buses, and of course marshutnis..

Organizations like Armenian Tree Project are doing quite a lot to change this. Also, in recent years the Mayor's office of Yerevan has begun to pay attention to the pressing need for more parks and green areas in Yerevan.

[Haykakan]

Re: Armenian Nature

THE DIVERSITY OF ARMENIA ARMENIA, AN ANCIENT AND BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY, HOSTS MANY UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES
By Motaz Othman

eTurbo News
Nov 30 2009

During the World Travel Market (WTM), eTurboNews (eTN) visited the
Armenia stand, where representatives from the Armenia Tourism Board,
hotels, resorts, and Armenian tour operators were exhibiting to
introduce Armenia to WTM exhibitors.

Motaz Othman, eTN's Middle East editor, had a few minutes talk with
Ms. Anna Khachaturova and asked her about Armenia's attractions and
what makes it a unique and interesting destination along with a large
number of interesting and important historical and early Christian
monuments, rich cultural heritage, fascinating landscapes, and diverse
flora and fauna.

Anna Khachaturova shared that first of all, it is Armenians living in
this ancient and beautiful country, therefore, all cultural tour
programs and holiday packages are featured and strengthened with the
human touch, enabling tourists to explore traditions, national
characteristics, culture, and, of course, the famous hospitality of
Armenians. All travel packages, together with discovering the most
interesting architectural, Christian, cultural, and historical
monuments, most of which are included in the UNESCO World Heritage
List, as well as fantastic landscapes of Armenia, also include visits
to the Armenian countryside, meetings with interesting local people,
participation in making famous Armenian hand-made carpets, Armenian
souvenirs, Armenian wine and brandy, and Armenian traditional bread,
"Lavash."

Walk and explore, trekking, hiking, and culture tours enable tourists
to appreciate the countryside and healthy lifestyle, see the most
important sightseeing places, and explore the country on foot rather
than by bus. These holidays are more focused on the discovery the
country's nature, Armenians, and the Armenian lifestyle. Trekking
tours enable visitors to experience the atmosphere of and gain a real
insight into a local area where one may enjoy the sights and sounds of
Armenia's glorious countryside. Tourists will see fascinating details
of areas inhabited by man for over many thousands of years; hear about
the history, farming, flora, and fauna; and learn entertaining
anecdotes of those famous areas. Walks include visits along the way
and a great chance to meet local people. Armenia tour operators are
promoting long-term partnership with the community-based providers of
tourist services thus supporting the development of local economies
and pioneering and promoting socially- and environmentally-responsible
tourism in Armenia.

Trekking/walking programs are about filled environments rich in
natural beauty, wildlife, history, and cultural realities of Armenia.

These tours present a fantastic and unprecedented mixture of
riding/trekking and adventure tourism in Armenia's most fascinating
mountainous wild environment and discovery of Armenia's rich cultural,
historical, and ethnic heritage.

Armenian cuisine is as ancient as the history of Armenia and a
wonderful combination of different tastes and aromas. Closely related
to eastern cuisine, various spices, vegetables, fish, and fruits
combine to present a unique experience for any visitor to the country.

Fruits such as peaches, apples, pears, cherries, mulberry, figs,
pomegranates, strawberries, and water melons are particularly
succulent, but in particular, Armenia is famed for its apricots, which
many consider taste better than anywhere else in the world. As early
as the 4th century BC, Alexander the Great brought apricot trees from
Armenia to Greece, which eventually found their way to Rome.

Environmental protection is important among local communities and
people, so tourists will enjoy the care and preservation of local
fauna and flora.

A warm welcome to Armenia is extended to everyone who visits - the
single traveler, couples, families, and groups of various sizes.

Armenia is exciting, enjoyable, and forever memorable; a destination
where you can experience archaeology, architecture, Christianity,
history, culture, and most of all, the warm Armenian welcome.

Ms. Anna is the CEO of Nueva Vista, an incoming tour operator in
Armenia/Georgia. Its primary focus is to produce and execute
good-value, in-bound tours (cultural, religious, adventure, culinary,
etc.) and to provide DM services such as event management and
conferences to its worldwide-located partners and clients.

[ashot24]

Re: Armenian Nature

Tsarukyan, the animal lover, best take heed. The planet has already lost too many species (I believe the statistical numbers for lost species on daily basis ranges from anywhere from 35 to 150 - staggering figures).

Illegally killed endangered Armenian mouflons and bezoar ibexes in the mountains of Syunik by poachers.

More here from Hetq article -

This is a photo taken from the website www.huntineurope.com showing a certain Mr. J. Jones and the huge Bezoar Ibex he shot while on a hunting trip to Armenia this spring. We want to remind you that these animals have been registered in the Armenian Red Book of Endangered Species.

The site urges hunters to travel to Armenia the year round to pursue their passion, especially during the months of March-November. It claims there are two locations in Armenia to hunt for Armenian Bezoar Ibex and Armenian mouflon – the Yeghegis Canyon and the slopes of Mt. Ourts.

The fee paid by hunters for these trophy animals is $6,800 for Armenian mouflon sheep and $5,600 for Bezoar Ibex.

Article here: http://hetq.am/en/ecology/muflon/

I would like to shot those bastards the same way they shot those beautiful animals, see if they like it. Without their fancy killing machines, men are nothing.

[Catharsis]

Re: Armenian Nature

I would like to shot those bastards the same way they shot those beautiful animals, see if they like it. Without their fancy killing machines, men are nothing.

Indeed Ashot, I would love to see these "hunters" turn into hunted and experience the "trill" of being hunted down like they do to when they exterminate these noble creatures. I am sorry but I am a humanist to the humane.

[ashot24]

Re: Armenian Nature

No, it's ok. What I was trying to express was what you just said, feel the roll of the hunted. I can't understand why this killing continues to happen, what do they thing animals don't fear? don't feel pain? We are the only specie who kills for pleasure, long ago we evolved from the necessity of killing to survive, it's not fair. At the end we will be our own murders if we continue to mistreat mother nature as we do.

[Muhaha]

Re: Armenian Nature

FINALLY, some good news coming out of Armenia.
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ATP Breaks Record by Planting One Million Trees in Lori Region

ATP provided seasonal jobs for more than 300 people from the Tsaghkaber, Jrashen, and Margahovit villages in 2009 to plant trees grown at the Mirak Family Reforestation Nursery and in the Backyard Nursery Micro-Enterprise Program.

YEREVAN, Armenia—Armenia Tree Project (ATP) has been collaborating with World Wide Fund for Nature Armenian Branch (WWF Armenia) on an unprecedented large-scale reforestation program in the communities of Jrashen and Tsaghkaber in the northern region of Lori.

“Mitigating Impacts of Climate Change through Forest Protection, Management and Restoration in Southern Caucasus” is a project implemented by the consortium of WWF Germany, WWF Caucasus, and WWF Armenia in cooperation with the Ministry of Nature Protection, the Ministry of Agriculture (”Hayantar” Armenian Forest SNCO) of the Republic of Armenia, Armenia Tree Project Foundation, Jrashen and Tsakhkaber communities financed by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) of the Federal Republic of Germany through KfW in the framework of the International Climate Protection Initiative.

The project was initiated in late 2008, and since then ATP has planted 1 million indigenous tree seedlings for the program, which is the largest number of trees planted by the organization in a single year. The planting site covered a total of 400 ha. (1,000 acres) of deforested land in Lori, near the earthquake region of Spitak.

“Climate change is happening globally and Armenia is not an exception. Weather extremes that are so common in Armenia have serious implications for forests. We are proud to collaborate with the German KfW Bank and WWF to make a difference and create a better future for the environment and people,” stated ATP Yerevan director Mher Sadoyan. “We hope we can fight the adverse impacts of the climate change in those territories of Armenia which are most affected, and reforestation is one way to achieve this goal.”

This environmental program has created hundreds of jobs for villagers who are often forced to migrate to earn a living abroad in countries such as Russia. As part of the goal to address the socio-economic status of the communities in the project area, ATP has provided seasonal tree planting jobs for more than 300 people from Tsaghkaber, Jrashen, Margahovit, and neighboring villages.

The tree seedlings for the project were grown in ATP’s Mirak Family Reforestation Nursery in Margahovit, as well as by families participating in the Backyard Nursery Micro-Enterprise Program in the Getik River Valley. This new forest was established with oak, pine, ash, maple, and apple seedlings which are indigenous to the region.

“Armenia Tree Project is honored to cooperate with the German KfW Bank and World Wide Fund for Nature. Together we are fighting climate change and creating a green future for future generations of Armenians,” emphasized Sadoyan.

Since 1994, Armenia Tree Project has planted and restored more than 3.5 million trees at over 800 sites around the country and created hundreds of jobs for impoverished Armenians in tree-regeneration programs. The organization’s three tiered initiatives are tree planting, community development to reduce poverty and promote self-sufficiency, and environmental education to protect Armenia’s precious natural resources.

For more information and to support ATP’s mission, visit www.armeniatree.org.

http://www.armenianweekly.com/2009/12/08/atp-breaks-record-by-planting-one-million-trees-in-lori-region/

[Haykakan]

Re: Armenian Nature

We need more projects like this. Lori is a beutiful place and i hope to visit it on my next trip.