MONITORING OF WILD ANIMALS BEHAVIOUR DURING EARTHQUAKES IN THE SOUTHERN BAIKAL REGION

Documenting the behavioral responses of wild animals using camera traps during a strong or moderate earthquake requires an extremely favorable set of circumstances. Such observations have the greatest prospects within specially protected natural areas (reserves, national parks, sanctuaries, etc.). In the Southern Baikal region, such territories include the Pribaikalsky National Park, the Krasny Yar Federal Sanctuary and the Baikal-Lena State Reserve, which are part of the protected areas of the Federal State Budgetary Institution «Zapovednoye Pribaikalie». These territories, firstly, are subject to relatively strong seismic impacts from earthquakes in the Baikal rift zone, and, secondly, automatic photo and video recording of the behavior of wild animals is carried out within their boundaries. The combination of these factors makes it possible to collect statistically significant amounts of data, analyze them and, as a result, a deeper understanding of the impact that earthquakes have on wildlife. The article presents the first results of comparing the behavior of wild animals in the Pribaikalsky National Park with seismic activity.