Russia’s political background has changed substantially over the centuries. Its varied landscape, however, has always been home to a vast array of wildlife and plant life.
This is Russia’s Arctic. The area extends 6,000 kilometres from the Norwegian border to Culfor Bering (the Bering Strait).
At the beginning of mis Mawrth (March), the ice sheet across the sea begins to burst and thousands of morloi (seals) gather to give birth to their young.
Baby seals only weigh ten kilograms at birth. They drink their mothers’ milk for 12 days. Then, when their dark coats develop they head off for the sea. Every mother recognises its own offspring by its unique scent.
Eirth (bears) like these can move very quickly and cover huge areas searching for food.
This crëyr (crane) is one of the rarest birds in the world. There are only two to three thousand left and they only breed in Arctic Russia.
Here on Wrangel Island these geese have arrived from North America. There are about 50,000 pairs of geese here. The main danger for them is the fox. As the warmer weather melts the snow, there are fewer places to hide from the foxes.
The fox is no danger to the large oxen. He is, however, a danger to the young oxen and the oxen stay together to protect them.
The ych (oxen) stay in the Arctic all year and their coats are thick enough to withstand temperatures of 40 degrees below zero.
Birds like the cornchwiglen lwyd (grey plover) and pibydd y mawn (dunlin) suffer in the Arctic winter. Food is in short supply. Those who survive welcome the sun’s energy.
