Leisure in nature reserves of Kazakhstan.

“No matter how much we believe in the mercy of nature the creator,
If in the spring world there are endless bounties,
If our cattle are fat, if there is plenty of food,
If people's hearts beat joyfully"

Abay Kunanbaev.

Tours around the Almaty Nature Reserve.

Almaty state reserve was organized in May 1931 where in the river basin Malaya Alma-Ata on an area of ​​about 13,000 hectares. Already by 1935, the territory of the reserve amounted to more than 600,000 hectares.
In February 1935, the reserve was given state status, and over the next 5 years its area reached almost 1 million hectares. Location, area size and accessibility.
The reserve is located in the southeast Kazakhstan, in the central part of the ridge Trans-Ili Alatau, which is the extreme northern range. The main part of the protected area, approximately three quarters, is located on the northern macroslope of the ridge in the basins of the Talgar and Chilik rivers.
The western border of the territory runs along Left Talgar River, northern - by Right Talgar River, and the eastern one - along the crest of a high spur separating the river valleys Esik and Turgen.
The length of the reserve's border from west to east in a straight line is more than 32 km.
The rest of the border, the southern one, runs near the Toguzak pass and through glacier Bogatyr, upstream Chilik River to the spur between the rivers Kosbulak-2 and Tamchy. The rest, a smaller part of the reserve, is located here; it represents the southern high-mountain slopes of the Trans-Ili Alatau.
The protected area is located between 1500 – 4979 m above sea level. In addition to the highest peak of the Trans-Ili Alatau - Talgar peak 4973 meters above sea level, in the reserve 4 more peaks exceed 4500 meters above sea level, these are the peaks - Aktau 4686 meters above sea level, Korp 4631 meters above sea level, Bogatyr 4626 meters above sea level and Metallurg 4600 meters above sea level. The main ridge of the ridge within the reserve does not fall below 4200 m above sea level.
Administratively, the reserve is located on the territory Talgar and Enbekshi-Kazakh districts of Almaty region, Republics of Kazakhstan. The geographic coordinates of the central part of the protected area are 42 96"05" - 77 22"33"".
The area of ​​the protected territory is 71,700 hectares. Around the border of the reserve there is a 2-kilometer protective zone with an area of ​​8,518 hectares, on the territory Ile-Alatau State National Natural Park.
The territory of the reserve is divided into two sections: Talgar with an area of ​​40,652 hectares (105 blocks), Esiksky with an area of ​​31,048 hectares (36 blocks). There are 14 inspection rounds in total. The central estate of the reserve is located in city ​​of Talgar, 25 km from the southern capital of Kazakhstan. Almaty.
Almaty has an international airport, railway and bus stations. Directions to the estate of the reserve from the city. Almaty at any time of the year it will take less than an hour. At the central estate there is a “Museum of Nature”, where the excursion service of the reserve demonstrates the natural components of the protected area (collections of animals, plants, mountain minerals, etc.), and educational environmental and environmental activities are carried out.
There is a checkpoint installed at the entrance to the Talgar site, and there is telephone and radio communication with the central estate of the reserve. Duty at the checkpoint is carried out according to the approved schedule, around the clock. During most of the winter and especially in early spring (March, April), the territory of the reserve is at risk of collapse. snow avalanches, and in the summer, during intense melting of glaciers and, in connection with this, summer floods on mountain rivers, there is a danger of mudflows and landslides.
The largest mudflows usually occur in July (1963 and 1979). During these periods, visiting the reserve for any purpose is stopped. The entire Trans-Ili Alatau, the adjacent semi-desert territory up to the river, was protected. Or deserted mountain ranges Turaigyr, Boguty and Syugat.
The northern slope of the Trans-Ili Alatau was covered with magnificent coniferous and deciduous forests, and a huge tract of saxaul forests stretched along the left bank of the Ili. The floristic composition included more than 1,500 species. Many birds and animals lived in protected areas; only in Syugatinskaya Valley thousands of herds of goitered gazelles roamed, now included in Red Book of Kazakhstan.
In the post-war years, a gradual reduction of protected areas began. First, forest areas were confiscated, then hayfields and other lands. In September 1951, the final liquidation of the reserve took place, which shared the sad fate of many reserves in the country in those years.
The main part of the protected area - approximately three quarters - is located on the northern slope of the Trans-Ili Alatau. The western border of this part runs along the river. Left Talgar, northern - along the Right Talgar River, and eastern - along the ridge of a high spur separating the valleys of the Issyk and Turgen rivers.
The length of this part from west to east is more than 32 km in a straight line. The rest of the territory is located on the southern slope Trans-Ili Alatau. The border of the protected area is bordered by a two-kilometer protective zone.
But the appearance of the reserve also has its own, inimitable, unique quality. The mountain slopes, crowned by a powerful ridge of peaks covered with ice and snow, sharply contrasting with the foothill deserts, irresistibly attract you at all times of the year.
Within the reserve, the main ridge of the Trans-Ili Alatau reaches its greatest height and does not fall below 4200 meters above sea level. It is here that most of the peaks of the ridge are located, with a height of more than 4500 m.
The impressive Talgar peak is the highest point of the entire ridge, clearly visible from the foothill plain many tens of kilometers away. The peaks, “headed” by Talgar Peak, form the powerful Talgar Knot, occupying the entire middle part of the reserve.
This is one of the centers of modern glaciation in the Trans-Ili Alatau; the largest glaciers of the Northern Tien Shan are concentrated here: the Korzhenevsky glacier and the Bogatyr glacier. The first reaches a length of 11 km and has an area of ​​38 km.
The second one is slightly inferior to it: length - 9.1 km, area - 30.3 km. Almost as extensive glaciers of Shokalsky, Grigoriev, Kassin, Palgov, Kalesnik etc. Unique Talgar mountain junction widely known among the country's climbers.
For more than 40 years, the allied mountain camp “Talgar” operated here. In 1979 it was destroyed by a mudflow. In the upper reaches of the Issyk gorge there are two high-mountain moraine lakes - Ak-Kol (White), lying at an altitude of 3140 m, and Muz-Kol(Ice) 3400 m.
The glaciers sparkle dazzlingly - Zharsay, Palgova, Grigorieva, etc. The Talgar site includes three gorges - Left, Right and Middle Talgar. The longest of them - Left Talgar (more than 30 km) - has, like most others, a direction from south to north.
On the southern slope of the Trans-Ili Alatau there are the protected gorges of South-Eastern Talgar, South Issyk and a number of other smaller gorges ( Gubar, Kosbulak, Tamchy). The reserve is characterized by widespread development of modern glaciation.
Only in the pool Issyk River There are 49 glaciers (with an area of ​​53 square kilometers). There are a total of 160 glaciers in the reserve (with a total area of ​​233.7 km") out of 466 known in the Trans-Ili Alatau. The river network is well developed.
Quite turbulent rivers 5-7 m wide and up to 1 m deep flow along the bottom of most gorges; a lot of keys. In the northern part of the territory the largest (from 16 to 28 km long) rivers are the Issyk, Left Talgar, Right Talgar And Middle Talgar.
In the southern part, the South-Eastern Talgar (13 km), originating from the Bogatyr glacier, and the Southern Issyk (10 km), flowing from the Korzhenevsky glacier, flow into it. Both rivers are very full-flowing, especially in the warm season. South-Eastern Talgar and Zhangyryk, merging, give rise to the river. Chilik is the largest in the Northern Tien Shan.
Chilik flows 10 - 12 km along the border of the reserve. The rivers are fed mainly by seasonal melting of snow, firn fields and glaciers. The flood period begins in April and lasts throughout spring and summer.
Water flow reaches 12 - 15 cubic meters per second or more in July - August. On some hot days, as well as after heavy rains, the rivers turn into roaring mad streams, destroying the banks and carrying large stones, gravel and sand.
In winter, the rivers have low water and do not freeze, but at bends and turns they form powerful ice dams, and in narrow places - arched cornices of ice and snow between the banks. There are almost three dozen small (from 0.1 to 3.8 hectares) high-mountain moraine and glacial lakes in the reserve.
All of them lie in the beds of temporary watercourses and are fed mainly by melt waters. These lakes are usually very deep and store significant volumes of water.

Sources:
Ishkov E.Reserves of Central Asia and Kazakhstan. Almaty, Kazakhstan, 2006. Under the general editorship of Roman Yashchenko. International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN - TheWorldConservationUnion. Physiographical features (according to Kerteshev, Vagapov, Yashchenko, 2001).Reserves of the USSR. Reserves of Central Asia and Kazakhstan. Moscow “Thought”, 1990

Photos
Alexandra Petrov, Sergei Mikhalkov.

The Almaty Nature Reserve has a difficult history. It was created on May 15, 1931 as Malo-Alma-Ata with an area of ​​15 thousand hectares. In 1935, after increasing its area to 40 thousand hectares, and then to 856,680 hectares, it became known as Alma-Ata and, in addition to the Malaya Alma-Ata basin, included the Zhalanash and Sogetinsky valleys with adjacent mountains. However, in 1939, the transfer of certain sections of its territory to various organizations began, and in 1951 the reserve was liquidated. Only on July 31, 1961, by resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Kazakh SSR No. 524, the reserve was restored, but already on the territory of the Chilik, Tabankaragai and Tauchilik forest dachas. Three years later, in 1964, it was moved to modern territory - to the basin of the Issyk and Talgar rivers. Currently, the reserve covers an area of ​​71,700 hectares. The central estate is located in the city of Talgar, 25 km from Almaty. The main goal of the reserve is to preserve the natural complexes of the central part of the Trans-Ili Alatau, including animal and flora, as well as the study of the patterns of natural development of these complexes. The Trans-Ili Alatau ridge is the location of the reserve, located in the north of the Tien Shan mountain system. In its central part it forms the Talgar mountain cluster, where it reaches its maximum height (Talgar peak - 4979 m above sea level). In the protected area, several powerful spurs branch off from the main ridge of the Trans-Ili Alatau, which are river watersheds. The most abundant rivers are the South-Eastern, Left, Middle and Right Talgars, as well as the Issyk and Southern Issyk. With a relatively small depth (up to 1 m) and width (from 5 to 10 m), their rapid flow is due to a large difference in heights. The energy of water is so great that monolithic rocks are ground down, crushed and ground into sand, giving way to its powerful onslaught. The upper reaches of large rivers, originating in glaciers, enliven moraine and dam lakes. The most large lake Muzkol is located in the upper reaches of the river. Issyk (3600 m above sea level), its area is 46,300 m², and its depth is 25.5 m. In the basin of this river there are two lakes of landslide-tectonic origin - Issyk and Akkol. The beautiful Lake Issyk existed in its original form until 1963. On a hot July day, a destructive mudflow broke through a natural dam in a matter of minutes and wiped out the picturesque mountain wonder from the face of the earth. There are many other unique creations of nature on the territory of the reserve. In the upper reaches of the Straight Slit tract there is the largest glacier in the Northern Tien Shan, about 3.5 km long. It moves at a speed of several tens of centimeters per year and has the lowest location (2400 m above sea level) among the active glaciers in the region. There are also thermal springs in the reserve, for example, in the zone of underground faults in the river basin. Talgar (1850 m above sea level). The waters of the springs are radon and sodium. Big variety natural conditions the territory of the reserve is primarily due to the clearly defined altitudinal zonation. Low-mountain landscapes are represented in the altitude range from 1200 to 1800 m above sea level. On the northern slopes, deciduous forests of birch, aspen, apple and apricot alternate with tall grass meadows and thickets of bushes. The soils are mountain-forest and mountain-steppe, sometimes rocky. On the southern slopes, cereal-forb steppes on mountain leached chernozems predominate, as well as shrub thickets with meadowsweet, rose hips, honeysuckle and creeping Cossack juniper. The middle mountains (up to 2800 m) occupy the forest-meadow-steppe belt. On the northern slopes and areas with deeply dissected relief, dense islands of forests of Schrenk spruce are common - an unusually spectacular decoration of the mountains of the reserve in all seasons of the year. The subalpine belt (2700-3100 m) is characterized by good turf on the slopes. The hilly-moraine valley bottoms are occupied by cobresia and forb subalpine meadows. The northern slopes are covered with forb-grass meadows with dense grass. In flat depressions there are damp alpine meadows - saz. The Alpine belt extends to the foot of modern moraines and glaciers (3400 m). The lower half of the belt is dominated by cobresia meadows, and the upper half is dominated by forb-cobresia lawns. The low areas are occupied by grass and forb meadows, which are distinguished by the diversity of brightly flowering species. The soils under these meadows are thin, peaty, and sometimes slightly swampy. High-mountain steppes are common on the fine-earth slopes of southern exposure. The soils of such areas are heavily rubbled from the very surface. The upper part of the mountains is occupied by a glacial-nival zone, where two altitudinal zones are clearly distinguished. In the nival (3400-3900 m) rock-talus landscapes with sparse herbaceous vegetation dominate. The glacial belt (above 3900 m) is a belt of rocks, snow and ice. Flora of the Almaty Nature Reserve The flora of the reserve is rich and diverse. Its flora includes about 1,100 species of higher plants. More than 50 species are rare, 26 of which are listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan. In the lower zone of the mountains there are apricot, Mushketov's curly, Sievers' apple tree, extremely rarely Nedzvetsky's apple tree, Caucasian hackberry, Altai gymnospermium. On the steppe of other southern slopes there are Kolpakovsky and Ostrovsky tulips, very rarely Albert's iris and Kolpakovsky iridodictium. In the middle zone, Wittrock's rhubarb is common, Semenov's corydalis, orange jaundice, Alma-Ata hollywort, golden and Tien Shan adonis, and Semenov's cortuza are very rare. But the rarest and most original Red Book species are found in the hard-to-reach highlands of the reserve: the Tien Shan Siberian in the upper reaches of Chilik, completely unusual in appearance Saussurea wrapped in the vicinity of Lake Bozkul and along the outskirts of the Korzhenevsky and Constitution glaciers, cobwebby-fluffy and at the same time prickly schmalgausenia on the ancient moraines of Issyk and Chilik. In the upper reaches of the Issyk, such rare endemics as the glacial parsnip and the Alma-Ata headwort were collected and described for the first time. Only in the valley of this river were large-fruited and unusually aromatic Yanchevsky currants found, on the meadow slopes of the river. Right Talgar - Kumbel hawkweed; in the Middle Talgar valley and the upper reaches of Chilik - the original Alatau speedwell with snow-white flowers. Of the food varieties, the most important are wild fruits and berries: apple trees, apricots, barberries, Meyer currants, Tien Shan rowan, hawthorns, stone fruits, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and sea buckthorn. Found everywhere medicinal plants: horsetail, hops, rosehips, Ural licorice, laxative jester, St. John's wort, coltsfoot, Turkestan motherwort, oregano, common patrinia, elecampane, common yarrow, a significant part of which is recognized by scientific medicine. Plants such as codonopsis clematis, narrow-leaved fireweed, Djungarian fighter, celandine, Ili larkspur, etc., are proven folk remedies. Animal world Almaty Nature Reserve The wildlife of the reserve is very rich. The number of invertebrate species is unknown, but their enormous species diversity is obvious: to date, about 2000 species from 8 classes have already been identified. When visiting the reserve, you first of all pay attention to the bright daytime butterflies, of which at least 135 species live here: from the largest swallowtails to small bluebirds. The composition of some other groups of insects has been partially determined. Thus, from the order of beetles, 252 species of ground beetles and 102 species of leaf beetles are known; of Hymenoptera - 110 species of bees, 33 species of ants, 97 species of burrowing wasps. We can confidently predict the presence of at least 6 thousand species of insects on the territory of the reserve. Of all this diversity, only 12 species are included in the Red Book of Kazakhstan. These are dragonflies - a noticeable mace-bellied, a watchman-emperor, a beautiful girl; Orthoptera - steppe rack; Homoptera - Jacobson's nostril; beetles - Semenov's beetle, two-spotted chylocorus, dotted ladybird, large root beetle; diurnal swallowtail butterflies - bedromius and patrician, Ershov's jaundice and Tatyana's blueberry. Among other invertebrates, 4 species of gastropods of terrestrial mollusks are included in the Red Book. The vertebrate fauna includes 225 species, including: 3 fish, 2 amphibians, 6 reptiles, 172 birds and 42 mammals. The waters of the Chilik River within the boundaries of the reserve are inhabited by Strauch's loach, naked and scaly osmans - all 3 species of fish. The green toad is found everywhere, and the lake frog is found in the protected zone (Talgar and Issyk basins). The most common reptiles are the lizard - the Alai gologla and poisonous snake - Cottonmouth, which are found up to the Alpine belt. The patterned snake lives in the lower and mid-mountain zones. Here, but only on the southern slopes, you can occasionally see the steppe viper, and near standing reservoirs - common and water snakes. The distribution of birds throughout the reserve is closely related to the ecological conditions of nesting. Bluebirds, common and brown dippers nest near turbulent rivers and streams, waders (sickbill and waders) nest on gently sloping pebbles, masked and mountain wagtails nest under boulders, snags and in cliff niches, and black-backed yellow-headed wagtails nest in marshy areas overgrown with myricaria. and maned caragana. Nests of quail, corncrake and common cricket are noted in the tall grass meadows of the forest belt. The stonechat prefers southern sedate areas. The meadows of the upper zones with juniper bushes and rock outcrops are occupied by the mountain pipit, the Himalayan Accentor and the Himalayan finch. The common wheatear builds its homes in alpine meadows next to colonies of gray marmots and quite often in their abandoned burrows. Birds of the bush thickets are represented by: Gray Warbler, Common Rosefinch, Red-backed Redstart, Black-breasted Rubythroat, Painted Titmouse and others. Most birds nest in forest biotopes. Ten species of birds in the reserve are listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan. Six of them (golden eagle, bearded vulture, kumai, shahin, sicklebeak, bluebird) nest here, three (black stork, pygmy eagle, eagle owl) are periodically encountered in the summer, and the peregrine falcon visits in the winter. The complex mountainous terrain and exceptional diversity of microclimate and vegetation also affect the distribution of mammals. The stone marten lives among large rocky screes along rivers and streams. Its main prey is mouse-like rodents, but in the fall its diet often includes the fruits of rowan, hawthorn, and apple trees. More than ten species of animals live in the forest belt. The badger makes burrows under bushes and trees. In the spring it feeds mainly on beetles, which it eats in huge quantities; in the summer it switches to plant foods - berries and fruits. It often destroys bird nests by eating their contents. Roe deer are most often found in the lower and middle parts of the mountains, and deer, on the contrary, are found at the upper border of spruce forests and in juniper forests of the subalpine belt. The bear lives in spruce forests and subalpine meadows, but in the fall it goes down and feeds mainly on wild apples. In the middle of the last century, the teledut squirrel was acclimatized in the spruce forests, which has now become normal look, and, according to some foresters, greatly harms the regeneration of spruce forests. At the lower border of spruce forests and in fruit forests there are numerous forest dormouse. On the northern slopes of the forest belt, lynx is found, the main prey of which is roe deer, tolai hares, black grouse and other species of animals and birds. Colonies of gray marmots are not uncommon in the subalpine and alpine zones. In early spring, the animals emerge from their burrows after hibernation and intensively accumulate fat in order to go into another hibernation for 7-8 months. There are numerous mountain goats - typical inhabitants of the highlands. In summer they stay at the very edge of snowfields and glaciers among stone placers, in winter they descend into the forest belt, where they adhere to the southern slopes with little snow. Following them, snow leopards descend and mainly hunt these ungulates.

Almaty State nature reserve

Almaty nature reserve

The reserve was organized in May 1931 in the river basin. Malaya Almatinka on an area of ​​about 13,000 hectares. Already by 1935, the territory of the reserve amounted to more than 600,000 hectares. In February 1935, the reserve was given state status, and over the next 5 years its area reached almost 1 million hectares. The entire Trans-Ili Alatau, the adjacent semi-desert territory up to the river, was protected. Or the deserted mountain ranges of Turaigyr, Boguty and Syugaty. The northern slope of the Trans-Ili Alatau was covered with magnificent coniferous and deciduous forests, and a huge tract of saxaul forests stretched along the left bank of the Ili. The floristic composition included more than 1,500 species. In the post-war years, a gradual reduction of protected areas began. In September 1951, the final liquidation of the reserve took place, which shared the sad fate of many reserves in the country in those years.

The question of its restoration was raised by a group of scientists and public figures Kazakhstan, and in January 1960 it was restored. The reserve is located in the central part of the Trans-Ili Alatau on an area of ​​73,325 hectares, 25 km east of the southern capital of Kazakhstan Almaty, in the Talgar district of the Almaty region.

From 1966 to 1983, the reserve included the Kalkany tract with the unique natural monument “Singing Dune”. In 1983, this tract was transferred to the Kapchagai hunting reserve for kulanarium, and is now under the jurisdiction of the Altyn-Emel National Natural Park.

The main part of the protected area, approximately three quarters, is located on the northern slope of the Trans-Ili Alatau. The border of the protected area is bordered by a two-kilometer protective zone.

Altitudinal zone. Characteristic feature slopes of the Trans-Ili Alatau is altitudinal zone. A number of belts or zones have been identified on the territory of the reserve.

The belt of deciduous-mixed forest occupies altitudes from 1200 to 1600 m above sea level. Forest-forming species are represented by Sivers apple tree, common apricot, three types of hawthorn, bird cherry, aspen, Tien Shan birch, Talas poplar, several species of willow and individual Schrenck spruce trees. Among the bushes there are rose hips - dog, loose and Alberta, several types of honeysuckle, Semenov's euonymus, barberry and curly. Coniferous forests are represented by one species - Schrenk spruce. At the upper border there are thickets of junipers - Siberian, Cossack and false Cossack.

The subalpine belt in the Right Talgar river basin is characterized by good turf on the slopes. The hilly-moraine valley bottoms are occupied by cobresia and forb subalpine meadows. The northern slopes are covered with forb-grass meadows with dense grass. In flat depressions there are damp alpine meadows - saz. The southern slopes at the upper border of the forest are bordered by dense thickets of Turkestan juniper, and the clearings are covered with meadow-steppe vegetation, with a predominance of mantle or geranium-mantle associations. Various onions, saxifrages, small petals, forget-me-nots, gentians and others grow in abundance here. Significant areas of the subalpine are occupied by screes and rock outcrops.

The Alpine belt is located at an altitude of 2900 - 3200 m, extending to the foot of modern moraines and glaciers. In the alpine belt, significant areas are occupied by continuous rock outcrops and screes. The lower half of the belt is dominated by cobresia meadows, and the upper half is dominated by forb-cobresia lawns. Low-lying areas are occupied by grass and forb meadows, which are distinguished by the diversity of brightly flowering species, such as Chorispora Bunge, Altai violet, Alpine thermopsis, Serpucha lyrefolia, Doubtful chamomile, Lehman's breaker, Callianthemum alatava, etc. High-mountain steppes are common on the fine-earthed slopes of southern exposure.

Flora. The flora of the reserve is rich and diverse. Its flora includes more than 960 species of higher plants. More than 50 species are rare, 28 of which are listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan. The rarest and most original Red Book species are found in the hard-to-reach highlands of the reserve: Tien Shan Siberian in the upper reaches of Shilik, completely unusual in appearance, Saussurea wrapped in the upper reaches of Right Talgar and along the outskirts of the Korzhenevsky glacier, cobwebby-fluffy and at the same time prickly schmalgausenia on ancient moraines Esika and Shilika. In the upper reaches of the Esik, such rare endemics as the glacial parsnip and the Alma-Ata headwort were collected and described for the first time. Only in the valley of this river was found the large-fruited and unusually aromatic Yanchevsky currant, on the meadow slopes of the Right Talgar River - Kumbel's hawkweed, in the valley of the Middle Talgar and the upper reaches of Shilik - the original Alatavsky speedwell with snow-white flowers. There is an extensive group of forage plants, including cereals (creeping wheatgrass, Turkestan barley, bromeless brome, meadow foxtail, fescue, bluegrass, hedgehog grass), sedges, legumes (types of alfalfa, clover, peas, chin) and others. Of the food varieties, the most important are wild fruits and berries: apple trees, apricots, barberries, Meyer currants, Tien Shan rowan, hawthorns, stone fruits, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and sea buckthorn. Medicinal plants are found everywhere: horsetail, hops, rose hips, Ural licorice, laxative jester, St. John's wort, coltsfoot, Turkestan motherwort, oregano, common patrinia, elecampane, common yarrow, a significant part of which is recognized by scientific medicine. Plants such as codonopsis clematis, fireweed, Djungarian fighter, celandine, Ili larkspur, etc., are proven folk remedies. From early spring, the landscapes of the reserve are decorated with ornamental plants. The first to open are Alatau saffron and goose onions, a little later - tulips, Alberta iris, Eremurus - powerful and Altai, intermediate peony, Tatarian ixiolirion. At the beginning of summer, bright orange swimmers, yellow buttercups, white anemones, multi-colored violets, blue forget-me-nots, and dark purple columbine bloom. They are replaced by later flowering asters, small petals, gentians, and hawkweeds. This riot of colors continues until the end of summer, and in the alpine belt, near the melting snowfields, right up to winter.

Fauna. The wildlife of the reserve is very rich. When visiting the reserve, you first of all pay attention to the bright daytime butterflies, of which at least 135 species live here. The vertebrate fauna includes 230 species, including: 3 fish, 2 amphibians, 6 reptiles, 177 birds and 39 mammals.

Among the reptiles, the most common lizards are the Alai gologla and the poisonous snake, the copperhead, which are found up to the Alpine belt. The patterned snake lives in the lower and mid-mountain zones.

Bluebirds, common dippers, and brown dippers nest near turbulent rivers and streams. Most birds nest in forest biotopes. Wood pigeon, scops owl, spotted woodpecker, and black-fronted shrike prefer deciduous forests. Bearded vultures and shakhin nest in the rocks of the spruce belt. The rocks of the Alpine belt are inhabited by kumai, rock and rock pigeons, choughs and alpine jackdaws. Of the birds listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan, the golden eagle, bearded vulture, kumai, shakhin, eagle owl, sicklebeak and bluebird nest in the reserve. Black stork and pygmy eagle are sometimes seen in summer.

The complex mountainous terrain and exceptional diversity of microclimate and vegetation also affect the distribution of mammals. The stone marten lives among large rocky screes along rivers and streams. Its main prey is mouse-like rodents, but in the fall its diet often includes the fruits of rowan, hawthorn, and apple trees. More than ten species of animals live in the forest belt. The badger makes burrows under bushes and trees. In the spring it feeds mainly on beetles, which it eats in huge quantities; in the summer it switches to plant foods - berries and fruits. It often destroys bird nests, eating their contents. Roe deer are most often found in the lower and middle parts of the mountains, and deer, on the contrary, are found at the upper border of spruce forests and in juniper forests of the subalpine belt. The bear lives in spruce forests and subalpine meadows, but in the fall it goes down and feeds mainly on wild apples. In the middle of the last century, the teledut squirrel was acclimatized in the spruce forests, which has now become a common species. On the northern slopes of the forest belt, lynx is found, the main prey of which is roe deer, tolai hares, black grouse and other species of animals and birds. Colonies of gray marmots are not uncommon in the subalpine and alpine zones. There are numerous mountain goats - typical inhabitants of the highlands. In summer they stay at the very edge of snowfields and glaciers among stone placers, in winter they descend into the forest belt, where they adhere to the southern slopes with little snow. Following them, snow leopards descend and mainly hunt these ungulates.

Rich Natural resources Kazakhstan has been exhausted without looking back by man for centuries. In 1892, the first law was passed that provided for the protection wildlife on the territory of Kazakhstan. The country's first nature reserve was founded in 1926. Its goal was to preserve the natural habitats of rare animals, birds and plants. Currently, 10 nature reserves have been established in Kazakhstan. They carefully preserve the flora and fauna of the unique corners of Kazakhstan’s nature. From these protected areas, the traveler will always have the opportunity to choose a tourist route to enjoy the nature of Kazakhstan and follow its most interesting hiking trails.

Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve

The country's first reserve was organized in 1926 and is located in the South Kazakhstan region, namely in the north of the Western Tien Shan. The total area is more than 128 thousand hectares. The climate is moderate continental. There are mountain lakes such as Kyzylkenkol, Kyzylzhar, Ainakol, Tompak, Oymak and Koksakkol, and the Zhabagly and Aksu rivers flow through.

The flora of the reserve is rich and diverse. The most common are mountain coniferous forests, flora of rocks and screes. Over 23 species grow in Aksu-Zhabagly fruit trees: apple tree, pear tree, rowan tree, apricot, serviceberry, hawthorn and others. Also in the reserve there are ornamental plants: irises, tulips, eremurus, columbine, saffron, swimsuits and others.

The fauna is also diverse, there are over 330 species of vertebrates, including 50 species of mammals. The brown bear is the most frequently encountered of the predators. In addition to the bear and argali, there are five more Red Book species in the reserve: porcupine, Snow Leopard, bandaging, Turkestan lynx and stone marten.

There are three zones around and inside the Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve. The first zone is a specially protected area of ​​the reserve; tourism is prohibited in it. In the second zone, tourism is allowed. The third zone is a buffer zone, where hunting is prohibited. Permission to enter can be obtained from the administration of the reserve. There are many tourist attractions and several hiking routes.

Korgalzhinsky Reserve

The reserve was founded in 1968 and is located 130 km southwest of the city of Astana. It is located in the Tengiz-Korgalzhin depression; the total territory of the reserve after expansion is more than 543 thousand hectares. It has two large lakes Korgalzhin and Tengiz, which are the main objects of the reserve. The Korgalzhinsky reserve, located on the territory of Saryarka - the Kazakh small hills, is included in the list of objects World Heritage UNESCO. The Nura River flows through the territory of this environmental protection zone. The climate here is sharply continental.

In the flora of the reserve, herbs occupy the first place, and in general there are 350 species of higher plants. You can find up to fifteen species of shrubs growing in floodplain thickets of rivers, for example, rose hips, shrubby willows, and honeysuckle. On the lakes you can see mainly plants that have adapted to salty soils, for example, various solyankas, swedes, and kermeks. There are endemic and rare plants in the reserve, a total of 45 species that need special protection, such as pure white water lily, yellow water lily, Schober's saltpeter. Among those listed in the Red Book, the drooping tulip, Schrenk's tulip, and lumbago - open and yellowish - grow here.

The fauna of this protected area is diverse; about 300 species of beetles alone are known. There are many fish in the reservoirs, except for Lake Tengiz. A special advantage of the reserve is the pink flamingos, which nest only in the shallow waters of Tengiz. In total, over 300 species of birds live here or are encountered during migration. There are birds in the reserve that are listed in the International Red Book, there are up to 20 species of them, and there are 37 species in the Red Book of Kazakhstan. Animals include saiga, wild boar, fox, wolf, badger, steppe polecat, and hares (hare and hare).

To enter the reserve, a permit is required, which can be purchased from the reserve administration. Tourists come here mainly to watch birds, including during the migration period.

Barsakelmes Nature Reserve

The reserve was founded in 1939 and is located in the Aral region of the Kzyl-Orda region on an island. The total territory of the environmental protection zone is over 160 thousand hectares. The climate here is typical of northern deserts - cold winters, hot summers. As the sea dried out, the salinity of the water became higher than normal. The lack of fresh water complicates the existence of the animal world.

The flora is represented by vascular plants, of which 278 species are known in the reserve. There are only 14 endemics, among them wormwood (twig-shaped and Aral), zhuzgun (squat, curly and Talibina), Pratov's quinoa, Borschov's tulip.

The fauna of the reserve is diverse; up to two thousand species of insects alone are known here, including 400 species of beetles. There are 23 species of reptiles, which is equal to almost 50% of the total fauna of the country. In the reserve you can find 23 species of birds listed in the Red Book, for example, yellow heron, little egret, Dalmatian pelican, gray crane, whooper swan, shakhin and others. Large animals include kulans.

The Barsakelmes Nature Reserve is unique among all the country's nature reserves because its island location preserves the unique and distinctive flora and fauna of the island.

Western Altai Nature Reserve

This conservation area was founded in 1992 and is located 60 km from the city of Ridder. The total area is more than 86 thousand hectares. The reserve is located simultaneously in several natural areas– mountain tundra, mountain meadows, forest. The Belaya and Chernaya Uba rivers flow through it with the tributaries Lineichikha, Sidyashikha, Palevaya, Kamenushka. At the sources of these rivers there are small alpine lakes. The largest lakes - Shcherbakova and Kedrovoye - are located on the border of the alpine and forest zones.

Nearly 200 species of herbs grow on the territory of the reserve. Vegetation grows depending on the zones. The deciduous forest zone is known for trees such as poplar, birch, and cherry thickets; you can also find viburnum and mountain ash. Mountain taiga is rich in coniferous and cedar forests.

The fauna is represented by amphibians, fish, reptiles and mammals. The variety of birds reaches 190 species, among them there are the field harrier, the large merganser, the common buzzard, the Asian sandpiper, and the capercaillie.

Among the mammals in the reserve, the Altai mole, bear, fox, marten, deer, roe deer and others live. Despite the fact that there are lakes here, you cannot boast of the presence of fish, because there is very little of it there. Among the reptiles found here are viviparous lizards, toads, and common vipers.

The Western Altai Nature Reserve is quite remote from settlements, therefore nature has been preserved in its original form. The reserve will be especially interesting for botanists and ornithologists.

Naurzum Nature Reserve

The reserve was founded in 1931 in the Kostanay region. It is located in the Turgai hollow. The total territory is about 191 thousand hectares. The reserve consists of three sections: Terseksky, Naurzumsky and Sypsynsky. It has twelve large lakes. The climate here is sharply continental.

The flora of the reserve is diverse and includes 687 species of higher plants. For the steppe this is a lot, three times more than usual. The pine forests here are considered relict. In the spring, lumbago blooms in the reserve, forming a carpet in places, bright adonis bloom in the forest meadows, and in the clay areas the two-flowered tulip and the drooping tulip, Schrenk's tulips are found.

The fauna is also diverse; there are 342 species of vertebrates. The most common mammals are voles, hamsters, mice, steppe marmots, and ground squirrels. Numerous predators: ermine, weasel, steppe ferret, corsac fox, badger, fox, wolf. The largest mammals are roe deer, elk, and wild boar.

It is interesting to watch the arrival of rooks to the reserve. Every year at the end of March more than five thousand individuals fly here. One of the beautiful birds of Naurzum, the oriole, nests in pine forests and aspen-birch forests. Birds of prey can also be found in the reserve; there are only 25 species of them. The rarest bird that lives in this reserve is the mute swan. Naurzum lakes are located in flight corridors and during the migration period they provide rest for hundreds of thousands of waterfowl, including rare white cranes.

Research is constantly carried out in the Naurzum Nature Reserve; for many years it has been a field base for students and scientists.

Markakolsky Reserve

The reserve was founded in 1976. The total territory after expansion is over 102 thousand hectares. The reserve is located in the East Kazakhstan region. Lake Markakol is a landmark of this area and the largest body of water in Altai. There are five high-altitude plant zones on the territory of the reserve: mountain-taiga, meadow-steppe, high-mountain, subalpine and nival.

The meadow-steppe belt is represented by forb-grass meadows. In the mountain taiga zone there are deciduous forests, mainly Siberian larch grows here. Spruce forests grow along the river valleys flowing into Lake Markakol. The subalpine belt is represented by tall grass subalpine meadows. The high mountain belt is a zone of alpine meadows and mountain tundras.

The reserve has many useful plants. Medicinal, fodder, food, technical, melliferous and essential oil plants grow here.

The fauna of the reserve is quite diverse. There are 55 species of mammals alone and 20 species of rodents. Most common among predatory animals Brown bear. The mustelid family is represented by the following species: weasel, common ermine, badger, light polecat. You can also find wolverine, otter and sable. Traces of a snow leopard and a lynx were found on the territory of the reserve. Roe deer and red deer are characteristic ungulates of the Marakol forests.

Waterfowl here include tufted duck, goldeneye, wigeon and duck. Of the birds of prey, 24 species have been identified in the reserve.

The Markakolsky Nature Reserve was created to preserve the Altai-Sayan biologically diverse region.

Ustyurt Reserve

The reserve was organized in 1984 and is located in the west of the Ustyurt plateau and the Turan lowland. The total territory is more than 223 thousand hectares. Ustyurt is characterized by many drainless depressions, which are very often huge. One of them is the Barsakelme depression. They are difficult to access and therefore little studied.

There are 600 species of higher vascular plants in the reserve, among them solyanka, wormwood, astragalus and quinoa. A characteristic endemic of Ustyurt is the Khiva solyanka; it, together with the soft-leaved critmofolia, the toothless katran, and the hard-bottled milkweed, is included in the Red Book of Kazakhstan.

Rare species of animals have found their habitat in the Ustyurt Nature Reserve. For example, saiga, Ustyurt mouflon, goitered gazelle, cheetah, jackal, fox and others. Typical birds of the reserve are larks, houbara bustards, wheatears, vultures, vultures, vultures, snake eaters and many others. Among the predatory animals you can find the cheetah.

The Ustyurt Nature Reserve has many attractions - archaeological sites. There was once a route for merchant caravans here. The famous road of the Khorezmshahs united Khiva with the Emba and Volga rivers. Among the archaeological sites you can visit the famous Alan fortress, ruins ancient city Shahr-i-Wazir and the Beleuchi caravanserai. This reserve is of interest to scientists.

Almaty Nature Reserve

The reserve appeared in 1931 in the Almaty region. Its area is 71,700 hectares. The territory of the reserve is located in the central part of the Zailiysky Alatau ridge. It was created with the aim of protecting and studying the nature of the Northern Tien Shan.

The reserve's vegetation is diverse and is represented by steppes, deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests, alpine meadows and glaciers. About 30% of the reserve's territory is glaciers. This is where they originate mountain rivers Issyk, Talgar and Chilik.

The fauna consists of 200 species of birds, 7 species of reptiles, 38 species of mammals, several thousand species of invertebrates and insects. Here you can see the snow leopard, as well as various animals, including wild boar, deer, gazelle, and eagles. In the Red Book there are 22 species of animals that live in the reserve.

On the territory of the reserve there are 28 species of plants from the Red Book of Kazakhstan. In the mountains there are deciduous forests with aspen and rowan, with wild apple and apricot trees, coniferous forest grows even higher, then alpine meadows, mountain cliffs and glaciers.

There is a museum on the territory of the reserve, the collections of which reflect its activities. Tourists can walk through the halls of the museum and learn about the flora and fauna of the area.

Alakol Nature Reserve

The reserve has been operating since 1998 and is located in Almaty and East Kazakhstan regions. The total area after expansion is more than 65 thousand hectares. On the territory of the reserve there are lakes Alakol, Sasykol, Uyaly, Zhalanashkol. The climate here is sharply continental with cold winter and dry summers.

The fauna includes 290 species of animals. Among them, the most common are the bandage, wolf, wild boar, fox, roe deer, steppe polecat and others. In the delta of the Tentek River there are nesting places for cormorants, pelicans, night herons, herons, gulls and other birds. On delta lakes you can see gray duck, red-headed duck, greylag goose, shoveler and others. Of the rare endangered birds that are listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan, there are 38 species, including 27 nesting ones. The advantage of the Alakol Nature Reserve is the relict gull.

The flora of the reserve is represented by 269 species of vascular plants. Phytoplankton is expressed by 58 species of algae. Common reed, reed grass, sedge, cattail, reed and others grow along the lake. Thickets are the most important nesting and feeding areas for numerous shorebirds and waterfowl. Also in the reserve you can see thickets of blackberries, rosehips, combs, and honeysuckle bushes.

Karatau Reserve

The reserve was organized in 2004 and is located in the South Kazakhstan region, in the central part of the Karatu ridge. It borders on the Kyzylkum, Moyynkum, and Betpak-Dala deserts. The total territory of the reserve is more than 34 thousand hectares. The rivers Biresik, Bayaldir, Taldybulak, and Khantagi flow here. None of them brings its waters to the Syrdarya River, losing them at the foot of the slopes. The climate here is continental and arid.

The flora includes over 400 plant species. Endemic and rare plants 53 species are known, another 10 are endemic to the Western Tien Shan and Karatau. 42 species are included in the Red Book.

The fauna is not so rich; in total, about 30 species of mammals are known, including three listed in the Red Book - stone marten, Karatau mountain sheep and porcupine. The birds of the reserve are varied and interesting; there are up to 80 species here. Among the birds of prey there are such as the golden eagle, balaban, dwarf eagle, vulture, bearded vulture and snake eagle, which are in the Red Book of Kazakhstan.

Nature reserves in Kazakhstan are centers for the conservation of valuable species of plants and animals. By visiting any nature reserve, you can see and enjoy the interesting, diverse and picturesque nature of a huge country.

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The Almaty Nature Reserve has a difficult history. It was created on May 15, 1931 as Malo-Alma-Ata with an area of ​​15,000 hectares. In 1935, after increasing its area to 40,000 hectares, and then to 856,680 hectares, it became known as Alma-Ata and, in addition to the Malaya Almaatinka basin, already included the Zhalanash and Sogetinsky valleys with adjacent mountains. However, in 1939, the transfer of certain sections of its territory to various organizations began, and in 1951 the reserve was liquidated.

Only on July 31, 1961, by resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Kazakh SSR No. 524, the reserve was restored, but already on the territory of the Chilik, Tabankaragai and Tauchilik forest dachas. Three years later, in 1964, it was moved to modern territory - to the basin of the Issyk and Talgar rivers. Currently, the reserve covers an area of ​​71,700 hectares. The central estate is located in the city of Talgar, 25 km from Almaty.

The main goal of the reserve is to preserve the natural complexes of the central part of the Trans-Ili Alatau, including objects of flora and fauna, as well as to study the patterns of the natural development of these complexes.

Slide 3

The Trans-Ili Alatau ridge is the location of the reserve, located in the north of the Tien Shan mountain system. In its central part it forms the Talgar mountain cluster, where it reaches its maximum height (Talgar peak - 4979 m above sea level). In the protected area, several powerful spurs branch off from the main ridge of the Trans-Ili Alatau, which are river watersheds. The most abundant rivers are the South-Eastern, Left, Middle and Right Talgars, as well as the Issyk and Southern Issyk. With a relatively small depth (up to 1 m) and width (from 5 to 10 m), their rapid flow is due to a large difference in heights. The energy of water is so great that monolithic rocks are ground down, crushed and ground into sand, giving way to its powerful onslaught. The raging mass rushes down with a roar, dragging along huge stone boulders, and sometimes demolishes concrete engineering structures.

The upper reaches of large rivers, originating in glaciers, enliven moraine and dam lakes. The largest lake Muzkol is located in the upper reaches of the river. Issyk (3600 m above sea level), its area is 46,300 sq.m, and its depth is 25.5 m. In the basin of this river there are two lakes of landslide-tectonic origin - Issyk and Akkol. The beautiful Lake Issyk existed in its original form until 1963. On a hot July day, a destructive mudflow broke through a natural dam in a matter of minutes and wiped out the picturesque mountain wonder from the face of the earth. The preserved eastern bay of the lake is now slowly filling with water and gradually enlarging.

Slide 4

All large rivers and the lakes receive their main supply from the melting of glaciers, of which there are a lot in the reserve. There are 113 of them on the northern side of the ridge alone. The largest glacier is Shokalsky, located in the river basin. Middle Talgar is almost 5 km long. It pulsates with a periodicity of 20-24 years. The glacier's tongue cracks into numerous blocks and quickly moves down. On the southern side of the ridge, at the sources of the Chilik River, there is a powerful site of modern glaciation, which includes 86 glaciers. The largest of them are the Korzhenevsky glacier, about 12 km long, and the Bogatyr glacier, more than 8 km long.

Slide 5

Park - "Altyn-Emel" is located on the territory of the Kerbulak and Panfilov districts of the Almaty region. The central estate is located in the village of Basshi, 250 km from Almaty. The total area of ​​the park is 459,620 hectares.

Slide 6

Park - "Altyn-Emel" Created by Decree of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 460 dated April 10, 1996 on the basis of the Kapchagai state hunting reserve.

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The Katutau Mountains (1630 m above sea level) stretch from southwest to northeast in the form of a narrow hilly ridge with plateau-like peaks. The slopes are dissected by many waterless gorges and rifts. Red clays and bluish-gray calcareous sandstones of the Tertiary period stand out as bright stripes.

The Sholak (1785 m), Degeres (2280 m) and Matai (2880 m) ridges are low, bordered by desert-loamy and gravelly plains. The mountains do not reach the snow line and have no permanent glaciers. They are characterized by deep gorges, steep rocky slopes with rocks and screes. The parent rocks are represented by loess loams, pebbles and gypsum-bearing tertiary deposits. The mountain soils are light chestnut with a pronounced humus horizon.

The higher Altyn-Emel (2928 m) and Koyandytau (3459 m) ridges, separated from the main part of the Zhungar Alatau by the powerful Toksanbay ridge, face the Konyrolensk depression in their southern part. The steppe southern slope of Altyn-Emel is distinguished by deep rocky gorges, and the watershed of the ridge is distinguished by rocky dome-shaped peaks. The Koyandytau ridge has a more severe appearance with characteristic elements of the Zhungar highlands.

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The higher Altyn-Emel (2928 m) and Koyandytau (3459 m) ridges, separated from the main part of the Zhungar Alatau by the powerful Toksanbay ridge, face the Konyrolensk depression in their southern part.

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Climate of Altyn-Emel Park

The climate is desert, sharply continental, with dry, cold winters and hot summers. The annual amount of precipitation does not exceed 300-330 mm, the predominant amount falls in April-May. The driest month is September. Average annual temperatures range from 4-5°C. The average temperature in January is -8.6 °C, the minimum is -29.5 °C. The average July temperature is +2°C, maximum +45°C. The period with an average temperature above 0°C is about 260 days, and with temperatures above 10°C - 186 days. During the year, the prevailing winds are northeast, southwest, east and north. Overall territory national park characterized by little snow. In some winters there is practically no snow on the foothill plain, which creates favorable conditions for the wintering of wild animals.

Slide 10

The desert type of vegetation is represented mainly by the Zhungar-Gobi deserts with a predominance of Ilinia Regel, saxaul and reamuria.

Slide 11

Flora of Altyn-Emel Park

The flora of the national park includes 1,500 species of higher plants, including 22 rare species listed in the Red Book. Among them, the most interesting are relicts (Astragalus dzhimskiy, Ferula Iliskaya) and endemics: tulips - Alberta and short-stamened, Muslim's resin, Ili barberry, Chezneyyazhungarskaya, Kopalsky astragalus, Vitaliy's catchment, Herder's kakhris, rocky carrot, Goloskokov's hairspring, etc.

Slide 12

Most of the park's plants have beneficial properties. Many of them serve as food sources for wild animals. The seeds and fruits are eaten by birds and mouse-like rodents, and the vegetative parts are eaten by ungulates. Particularly valuable are eastern feather grass, Japanese brome, bush curly grass, keyreuk, boyalych, black saxaul, beautiful goniolimon, white-earth wormwood and others. There are also honey plants (chingil, camel thorn, caragana), essential oil plants (thyme, ziziphora, snakehead), medicinal plants, etc.

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Fauna of Altyn-Emel Park

The insect fauna, according to preliminary data, numbers more than 5,000 species, of which at least 500 are Coleoptera, or beetles, living in tugai. 25 species are listed in the Red Book. These are dragonflies (beautiful girl and watchman-emperor), mantis (Bolivaria short-winged), grasshoppers (steppe racket, dark-winged grasshopper); Coleoptera (Solsky's ground beetle, Chicherin's beetle, Ili musky woodcutter, Galuzo woodcutter, tamarisk longhorned beetle, dotted ladybird, two-spotted chilocorus); Hymenoptera (Scolia steppe, Sphex yellowwing, Haberhauer's prionix, etc.); Diptera and Lepidoptera (Ribbon Turanga, Myrmekida's Blueberry and Tatyana's Blueberry), etc.

Slide 14

The vertebrate fauna is also very diverse. In the r. The Ili and Kapchagai Reservoir are home to 20 species of fish, including 5 native species, three of which (Balkhash perch, Ili marinka and single-colored sloth fish) are endemic. The remaining fish are acclimatized (carp, grass carp, silver carp, asp, catfish, bream, pike perch, Caspian roach, etc.). Thorn, Aral barbel, Ili marinka and Balkhash perch are Red Book species.

There are only 3 species of amphibians - green toad, Siberian and lake frogs. Reptiles are represented by 25 species. In the mountains, the Alai holly eye, copperhead, steppe viper, patterned snake are common, and in the desert and semi-desert - the steppe tortoise, takyr and motley roundheads, skink and gray geckos, steppe agama, several species of foot-and-mouth, arrow-snake and others.

Slide 15

There are about 200 species of birds, 174 of which are nesting. 18 species are listed in the Red Book: black stork, white-eyed duck, osprey, short-tailed eagle, imperial eagle, golden eagle, white-tailed eagle, vulture, bearded vulture, kumai, saker falcon, gray crane, demoiselle, houbara bustard, brown pigeon, black-bellied sandgrouse, sajah, owl.

There are more than 70 species of mammals in the park, including 7 species listed in the Red Book: stone marten, captive marten, Central Asian river otter, Tien Shan mountain sheep, snow leopard, goitered gazelle and kulan. Altyn-Emel is home to the largest populations of goitered gazelle (4,000 animals) and Siberian ibex (about 1,500 individuals). In addition, there are 4 more species of artiodactyls (wild boar, roe deer, saiga, argali) and 2 equids (kulan and Przewalski's horse).

Slide 16

At the beginning of the last century, throughout the flat territory of Kazakhstan from the river. Ural to lake Zaisan was inhabited by kulans. But by the mid-thirties, the last individuals were found only at the foot of the Khantau and Katutau ridges and in the lower reaches of the river. Or. In 1982, kulans were introduced into the Sholak Mountains, but of a different, Turkmen subspecies (the endemic Kazakh subspecies disappeared in 1937). Released into the wild, they quickly mastered the new territory and currently more than 400 individuals live in the open spaces of the park. Another rare view, Przewalski's horse, disappeared from the territory of Kazakhstan in the century before last, and from the wild in general - in the second half of the last century. To date, wild horses have been preserved in only a few zoos in the world. In 2003, in order to restore the species in nature, several horses were imported from Germany. Now they have already adjusted to the new conditions.

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