Natural Reserves
Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve
Almaty National Nature Reserve
Markakol Natural Reserve
Ustyurt Reserve
West-Altai Reserve
The reserves may be classified into hunting, geological, botanical, zoological, lake, swamp and landscape ones.
Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve
(South-Kazakhstan region)
It was set up in 1927. For more than 70 years the mountain woods here are safe from an axe, grass from scythe and rivers from industrial pollution. Fresh greenery is all around. The Graig’s Tulip is selected as the symbol of the Reserve.
The whole Tian Shan has no other places of such juniper woods as in the law-protected preservation of Aksu-Zhabagly.
Quite remarkable is the canyon of the Aksu river: its banks are almost vertical (up to 300-500 m), often fairly inaccessible. This giant canyon is 15 km long and 500 meters deep. The nearest distance between the walls of the canyon is 600-800 meters. Total area makes up 85,300 ha. It embraces picturesque Alpine landscapes of north-west ridges of the Talass Alatau and the Ugam range. In the reserve one can find 1,404 species of plants while the fauna is represented by 47 and 239 species of animals and birds respectively.
Typical inhabitants – Siberian ibex, roe, Caspian deer, boar, weasel, vulture with rare species among them: snow leopard, Turkestan lynx, red bear, golden eagle, short-toed eagle.
At the altitude of more than 3000 m above the sea level there is a palaeontological preserve with stone inscriptions referring by scientists to the 7th-5th centuries BC.
The reserve plays a host to burial places of Karabastau and Akbastau on the slopes of the Karatau mountain. One can witness here the rarest ever imprints of all sorts of fish, molluscs, tortoises, insects of the Jurassic period which once inhabited the sea basin that lapped here some 120 million years ago.
Almaty Reserve
(Almaty region)
Founded in 1961, the Almaty National Nature Reserve is situated in the centre of the Ile-Alatau National Park, covering the territory of 73,300 ha. The flora of the nature reserve includes over 930 species. The animal world of the nature reserve is represented by many forest, steppe and mountain species. The reserve is the home of many endemic species: 38 mammals, about 200 birds, 8 fish, 6 reptiles and 2 amphibians. In reserve you may see snow leopard, Tien Shan bear, wolf, fox, maral (Caspian deer), badger, Pamir argali, wild boar and many others.
The reserve proper includes a desert-like section of the valley of the Ili River known for its uncommonly unique natural phenomenon: in dry weather the sands make music that sounds like an organ playing. The quartzite sand hills – Bolshoi and Maly Kalkan – are over 120 m high and stretch for 4 km. Despite the looseness of the sand and the strong winds, the sand hills do not migrate through the plain, but have remained in the same place for millennia. A new type of slalom has become popular – skiing down a sand hill.
Markakol Natural Reserve
(East Kazakhstan region)
It was set up in the year of 1976 as a means of protection and study of the natural complex of the South Altai. The area totals 75,000 ha. There are 721 species of plants, 59 species of animals and 25 species of birds in the reserve. Most common species are bears and Caspian deer. Of particular interest is no doubt a big mountain lake Markakol of tectonic origin: it lies at a height of 1,485 m above sea level. Its water table ranges for some 544 sq.m with maximum depth down to 27 m. One of the inhabitants thereof is a quite rare fish – uskuch whitefish.
Ustyurt Reserve
(Mangystau region)
Set up in 1984 with the territory of 223,000 ha. It occupies a portion of the chink of the Ustyurt plateau. The reserve protects 261 species of plants, 27 animal species and 111 species of birds. Reptiles are quite widespread: 27 species. Desert monitor is entered in the Red Book. Nearly just as rare are long-needled hedgehog, Persian gazelle, golden eagle, short-toed eagle, and Egyptian vulture.
West-Altai Reserve
(East-Kazakhstan region)
It was set up in 1991, totalling an area of 56,000 ha. It numbers 564 species of plants, 30 animal species and 120 species of birds.