Vice-president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, founder and head of IDEA Public Association Leyla Aliyeva visited the Shahdagh National Park in Ismailli district.

Here, Leyla Aliyeva viewed the territory of a complex to be constructed in the framework of the joint project by IDEA Public Association, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and WWF Azerbaijan in connection with reintroduction of bison to natural habitat. The project provides for breeding bison and letting them out to the wilderness. For this purpose, construction of light-weight structures is planned in an area of 30 hectares in the vicinity of the national park.

Bison have for centuries inhabited Azerbaijan’s rich nature. Last animal of this species was spotted late in the last century on the slope of the Mount Caucasus. As the population of the species had not been controlled effectively, this species has died out in Azerbaijan. As a result of the researches carried out recent years by leading scientists of the region and of the world, it has been established that our rich nature had favourable conditions for bison. Therefore, a decision was made to start implementing a reintroduction project on breeding and protection of this species.