A highly diverse region
The region harbors four biodiversity hotspots, the world鈥檚听most biodiverse and threatened areas. Spanning the North听Pacific, the Arctic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea,听encompassing the steppes, deserts and mountains of听Central Asia, the lush forests of South Caucasus and the听karst ecosystems, underground freshwater and wetlands of听the Western Balkans - this vast region hosts an exceptional
array of globally important and threatened species. It is听known for the presence of some of the most iconic large mammals, such as the Siberian Tiger, Snow and Persian Leopards, Polar Bear, European Bison, Saiga Antelope, Argali Sheep, Orca or Beluga Whale.听
