A highly diverse region
The region harbors four biodiversity hotspots, the world’smost biodiverse and threatened areas. Spanning the NorthPacific, the Arctic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea,encompassing the steppes, deserts and mountains ofCentral Asia, the lush forests of South Caucasus and thekarst ecosystems, underground freshwater and wetlands ofthe Western Balkans - this vast region hosts an exceptional
array of globally important and threatened species. It isknown 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.
