Putorana Nature Reserve, Nature reserve in Central Siberia, Russia
Putorana Nature Reserve covers the Putorana Plateau in Central Siberia, encompassing mountain ranges, river valleys, lakes, and waterfalls across 2.5 million hectares. The landscape shows basalt formations, tundra vegetation, and deep canyons cutting through volcanic rock.
The Soviet government created the protected area in December 1988 following scientific calls to preserve subarctic ecosystems. UNESCO designated the core zone as a World Heritage Site in 2010.
The Evenki speak a Tungusic dialect shaped by generations of isolation on the plateau. Their herding routes follow seasonal animal movements through valleys and over ridges.
Visitors need permits from reserve authorities and should prepare for extreme temperatures that drop below minus 60 degrees Celsius in winter. Expeditions require thorough preparation with satellite phones and emergency gear.
The area hosts the migration route of over 500,000 reindeer, the world's largest population, which passes through the valleys twice yearly. The endemic Putorana snow sheep population lives only on these plateaus and was scientifically described in the mid-20th century.
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