Korgalzhyn Reserve: A cautious glimpse into Kazakhstan's wild heart
Enter the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Korgalzhyn Nature Reserve in northern Kazakhstan covers approximately 5,000 square kilometres and is unique globally. Steppes and salt lakes provide a home for 365 species of birds and many unique species of mammals and plants.
The Korgalzhyn Nature Reserve was the first natural site in Central Asia to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2008. Together with the Naurzum Nature Reserve, it forms part of a biosphere reserve called Saryarka—Steppes and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan.
Entry limited to twice a week
Access to the reserve is restricted, and casual entry or drive-throughs are not permitted. You must apply (preferably in advance) to the office in the village of Korgalzhyn, approximately 130 kilometers southwest of the Kazakhstan capital, Astana. The number of tourists and the frequency of their admission to the reserve are strictly regulated—visitors are allowed in only twice a week.
Given the reserve's size, tours are conducted by car - only a few cars are permitted on designated days. A guide, whose services are provided for a small fee, is mandatory in each car, dictating the route - they know where to go without the risk of getting stuck and where there's the best chance of encountering unique fauna and flora. Guides also bring observation equipment (telescopes and binoculars), for those visitors who do not have their own.
Significantly limits on tourist numbers
Guide Gulmira explains that significantly limiting the number of tourists stems from concerns that higher numbers previously made some birds—like pink flamingos—agitated and reluctant to nest here. She adds that these birds come here specifically to breed, an event in the salt lake Tengiz, three times the size of Lake Constance.
Within the entire reserve are several salt lakes, abundant in food sources for pink flamingos. We observe the flamingos at one of the smaller lakes - they are about 300 meters away, making telescopes handy. You can also encounter large birds like cranes, various species of herons, pelicans, hawks, steppe eagles, Montagu's harriers, and other birds of prey. Among the smaller birds, the black lark makes its presence known.
Unnoticed or illegal entry into the reserve is impossible. Nature itself primarily obstructs access, and where road entry is possible, guard posts stand watch. The guards closer to Korgalzhyn work three-day shifts, while those at more distant points work seven. To comprehend the vastness of the reserve, it is noted to be larger than half of the Opole Voivodeship.
Wild tulips and marmots
Among the several dozen species of mammals found in the reserve, marmots and steppe polecats are particularly noteworthy. Among the plant life, endemic wild tulips, which cover the steppe as far as the eye can see, are remarkable.
- You're in luck. They only bloom for 10-12 days a year, and in three days, they will have faded - the guide shares. She adds that the reserve was established during her adult years. - When I was young, there was no recognition of the uniqueness of these places. We used to think flamingos were just red geese - she recalls, amused.
Following the tour, which lasts several hours, visitors can explore the museum and acquire a DVD in three languages detailing the reserve's natural values. The production of this DVD and advertising brochures received funding support from the international non-governmental organization Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia.
