Tourist routes and trails in the Altyn-Emel Nature Reserve -
Watching the wild Prizhevalsky horse in Altyn-Emel Park -
In the endless steppes of Altyn-Emel Park, where the wind drives feather grass waves, live the last wild horses of the planet - the legendary Kerkulans. This is what they called in the steppes in ancient times the horses that we know today as Przewalski's horses - the last true wild horses on the planet. These strong, short horses of sandy-red color are not just animals, but living symbols of freedom and the ancient spirit of the Great Steppe. Back in the 1960s, this species was considered completely extinct in the wild. But thanks to the reintroduction program, a herd of 300 individuals frolics in Altyn-Emel today! The first 12 horses were brought here in 2003 from the Munich Zoo, and now their herds are the pride of the reserve. In the park, you can ask the local rangers (foresters) to give you a tour to observe the kerkulans in their wild environment. You can make arrangements at the reserve's guest center in the village of Basshi.
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Kerkulans can be seen in the Altyn-Emel protected area, in the southern part of the park, in places where nature has been preserved as it was thousands of years ago. Strong, squat, with a short mane, light red hair and a dark stripe along the back, these horses seem to have come from rock paintings. And this is not an image - they were really drawn by ancient nomads, thousands of years ago, on stones in the Terekty gorge. Because the kerkulan is a symbol of the steppe, its spirit, its pulse.
Przewalsky horse was almost lost. In the 20th century, they disappeared from the wild. Only a few individuals remained in zoos around the world. But thanks to the efforts of scientists, ecologists and ordinary people, a program to restore the species was launched. And one of the few places on the planet where these horses run free again is Kazakhstan, in the Altyn-Emel Nature Reserve. When you are driving through a protected area, where an ordinary tourist cannot pass without an escort, and suddenly you see a herd of Kerkulans, the world seems to freeze. They are cautious, wild to the core, but proud and beautiful. Their movements are the movement of the steppe, their eyes are a reflection of the winds, and their run is like the music of freedom.
Locals say that the "Kerkulan" is a living embodiment of ancestors, that the spirits of nomads protect them. And when a Przewalski's horse looks in your direction, you feel as if it is not an animal that is looking at you, but time itself. These horses have never been tamed. They do not give in to the saddle. They are the embodiment of what is beyond human control. And that is why they are so important. To see them is to touch something real. This is not just a rare animal. This is the spirit of freedom, returned to its native land. And Altyn-Emel became the very place where the past and the future met to preserve life, wild, unbridled, strong.
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