I just came across an interesting news story — recently, a four-meter sturgeon was caught in the American Kennebec River. Honestly, I didn’t even know such giants still exist these days.

But this is nothing compared to the historical record. Do you know about the beluga sturgeon caught at the mouth of the Volga River back in 1827? That was truly the largest sturgeon known — 7.2 meters long and weighing over one and a half tons. Can you imagine such a monster?

In general, sturgeons are just living fossils. They have been swimming in our waters for about 200 million years, practically unchanged. These fish live over a hundred years and grow to incredibly large sizes. Plus, their caviar is a world-famous delicacy, a luxurious food appreciated everywhere.

But here’s the problem — in recent decades, many sturgeon species have been seriously threatened. Overfishing, river pollution, poaching... all of this has caused their populations to decline sharply. That’s why worldwide efforts are now actively underway to protect and restore them.

It’s somehow sad to realize that these ancient creatures, which survived the dinosaurs, now need our help. Biodiversity is a wealth that cannot be lost.