Sights of West-Altay reserve.

"Out of 52 species of mammals hoofed animals (elk, maral and roe) and predatory (bear, lynx, sable, Siberian weasel) can be distinguished, among the birds the most interesting are nesting sandpiper (great snipe, Asian snipe and solitary snipe), as well as the rare  orange-flanked bush robin and dark blue  nightingale. In Ridder suburb (Leninogorsk) there is Altai botanical garden, the most known among all botanical gardens of Kazakhstan"

Tours to West-Altay reserve.

Western-Altai nature reserve is located in Rudny Altai, 40 km to the east of Ridder town, and presents various types of taiga complexes - black taiga, cedar fir and dark coniferous woods. West-Altai State Reserve was established in 1992. Its area constituted 86 112 thousand ha.
The reserve is located in the areas of the mountain ridges in Kazakh part of Altai: Lineisky, Kholzun, Koksinsky and Ivanovsky in the sources of Belaya, Black Uba and Barsuk (tributary of Turgusun River). In the sources of White Uba In the sources of White Uba there are 14 small glaciers. Above the forest boundaries there are small mountainous lakes of glacier origin and marshes, which are the origin of the springs.
The most famous area on the territory of the zone and, in particular, the natural reserve is so called “Black Nod” – the junction of three main ridges in the area (Koksu, Ivanovsky and Kholzun). Here is “Stone City”, well known amongst the tourists. The programs of many tourist and sports-tourist routes, which go through the ecological paths of West-Altai State Reserve, include visiting this unique area.
Among more than 800 representatives of flora of the higher plants there are about 60 endemic species, 25 entered into red Book of Kazakhstan (Allium microdictyon, Erythronium sibiricum, Sibiraea laevigata, Adonis vernalis).
Out of 52 species of mammals hoofed animals (elk, maral and roe) and predatory (bear, lynx, sable, Siberian weasel) can be distinguished, among the birds the most interesting are nesting sandpiper (great snipe, Asian snipe and solitary snipe), as well as the rare  orange-flanked bush robin and dark blue  nightingale. In Ridder suburb (Leninogorsk) there is Altai botanical garden, the most known among all botanical gardens of Kazakhstan.
In it, on the area of about 140 hectares, thanks to efforts of the famous Kazakhstan botany Yu.A.Kotuhov, unique collection of rare and useful plants of flora which numbers about 2000 species, forms and samples was collected. Forms of Altai onion, peonies, bergenia and Pulsatilla patens are especially copiously presented.

Authority:
The guidebook on Western Altay state natural reserve.

Photos
Alexander Petrov.