Animal Watching in Altyn-Emel Park -
Bird Watching in Altyn-Emel Park -
Altyn-Emel Nature Park is one of the main natural pearls of Kazakhstan. Here, on an area of more than 3,000 km², unique animals that have become extinct in other regions of the country have been preserved. The Park resembles an African savanna: space, sparse vegetation, free-living ungulates and predators. Altyn-Emel is home to more than 260 species of vertebrates, including about 70 species of mammals, 260 species of birds, 25 species of reptiles and amphibians, and many insects.
Amazing diversity of the theriofauna -
The fauna of the park is impressive in its richness. About seventy species of mammals alone have been registered here. In the area of the Singing Dune, you can often meet the Siberian ibex, desert deer - goitered gazelle, argali, fox, and also the magnificent Turkmen kulan.
Kulans are not wild horses, as is sometimes mistakenly believed, but a subspecies of wild donkeys. They have a strong build, a short mane, powerful legs and a characteristic dark stripe along the back. For centuries, they inhabited the vicinity of the Kulan-Tau Mountains, but were completely exterminated in the 1970s. In 1978, 23 kulans were brought to Altyn-Emel from the island of Barsa-Kelmes in the Aral Sea. Since then, the population has been successfully restored, and now there are about 700 individuals in the park.
Along with them, another rare ungulate lives in the park - Kerkulan, or Przewalski. These animals are considered to be the last true wild horses on the planet that have retained their original genotype. The kulans are stocky, with short legs, a straight mane and a powerful neck. They were brought to Altyn-Emel as part of the species restoration program, and now they graze freely in the steppe areas of the park, forming small herds. Watching them is a unique opportunity to touch the prehistoric world.
In addition to the kulans and kerkulans, such rare species as the Pallas's cat, marbled polecat, Central Asian River otter and stone marten are listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan. All of them lead a secretive lifestyle and are extremely rarely seen, which makes them real ghosts of nature.
Amphibians and reptiles -
Amphibians in the park include the gray toad, lake frog, Siberian frog and the rare Danatin toad. The last two are listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan. Reptiles are also widely represented: there are 25 species here, which is 51% of the entire herpetofauna of the country. Among them are 16 species of snakes, 8 species of lizards and 1 species of turtle. Of particular interest is the variegated round-headed lizard - a rare species of lizard protected by the state.
Insects and invertebrates -
The world of invertebrates in Altyn-Emel amazes the scientific community - almost all registered species are rare. The Red Book of Kazakhstan includes 32 species from different orders: dragonflies, orthoptera, hymenoptera, diptera and lepidoptera. Many of them are endemic, found only in this region.
Birds of Altyn-Emel -
Birds are an integral part of the park's ecosystem. Here you can meet such predators as golden eagles, short-toed eagles, bearded vultures, black storks. Black-bellied sandgrouse and sand grouse live on the sandy plains, and herons, ducks, waders, and pheasants live near water bodies. Rare species include the bustard, pink pelican, peregrine falcon, saker falcon, osprey, palatinate eagle and shahin. All of them are listed in the Red Book and are under state protection.
Ichthyofauna -
There are 28 species of fish in the rivers and reservoirs associated with the territory of Altyn-Emel - in particular, in the Ili River and the Kapchagay Reservoir, which is 22.1% of the entire ichthyofauna of Kazakhstan. Of these, 12 species are endemic. Here you can find carp, grass carp, catfish, bream, pike perch, and asp. Some rare species of fish, such as the Ili marinka, Balkhash perch, and thorn, are listed in the Red Book and are protected.
Altyn-Emel Park is a place where you can touch living wild nature, see rare animals in their natural environment, and feel how the harmony of the ecosystem works. Every step here reminds us how important it is to preserve and protect what we have received from nature itself.
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