page_title: Meshchyorsky National Park
section_title: Animals
hierarchical_section_title: Meshchyorsky National Park / Animals
caption_attribution_description: English: From: Figure 1 of Popa-Lisseanu, A. G., Delgado-Huertas, A., Forero, M. G., Rodriguez, A., Arlettaz, R. &amp; Ibanez, C. 2007. Bats' conquest of a formidable foraging niche: the myriads of nocturnally migrating songbirds. PLoS ONE 2(2): e205. URL: [1] Русский: Гигантская вечерница
context_page_description: Meshchyorsky National Park covers extensive wetlands and pine/birch woodlands in the Meshchera Lowlands on the East European Plain in the northern section of Ryazan Oblast, Russia, about 120 km east of Moscow. The wetland habitat provides for extremely rich biodiversity among the plants and animals. "Meshchersky" National Park is not to be confused with "Meshchyora" National Park, which is just to the north, over the border in Vladimir Oblast. The park protects a section of the Pra River, Lake Beloye, and associated wetlands and forests. About 54% of the park territory is used and managed for agricultural purposes by local communities.
  Meshcheyorsk National Park forms a portion of the "Oka and Pra River Floodplains" wetland site under the Ramsar Convention, as a wetland of international importance.
context_section_description: As the park is on the southern edge of the taiga, there are some large mammals such as elk, wild boar, and recently brown bear along the forest edges.  Beavers are growing rapidly in number, along with muskrat, in the lakes and canals.  In spring, migratory birds arrive in large numbers, particularly geese and ducks, with wading birds in the marshes.  Many fish from the Oka River system move through the parks to the lakes, including perch, pike, chub, bream, roach, and others.  Vulnerable animals include the Greater noctule bat.
caption: Greater Noctule Bat (Near Threatened)
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