ASTANA — The vast expanses of Kazakhstan hide true natural treasures — rare and endangered animals that inhabit the depths of its nature reserves. Among towering mountains, boundless steppes, and dense forests, these creatures live, seen by only a fortunate few in the wild. The camera traps placed in these pristine areas allow to witness the remarkable and mesmerizing moments from the lives of these elusive creatures.
Camera recorded the manul (Pallas’s cat) in Charyn National Nature Reserve. Photo credit: Charyn National Nature Reserve.
Each of these camera traps serves as a portal into a world where graceful Turkestan lynx silently glide through the winter snow, mountain goats skillfully scale rocky heights and powerful bears cautiously roam the forests in search of food. These images, not just photographs but entire stories captured in an instant, give a glimpse into the lives of animals that so expertly hide from human eyes.
Season by season, the photographs reveal the life of the fauna in all its diverse manifestations. Imagine the snow-covered expanses where a solitary snow leopard moves almost imperceptibly through the blizzard in Zhongar-Alatau Mountains or an autumn forest where majestic Caspian red deer slowly wander across a golden carpet of leaves in Almaty Reserve. These shots, taken from various corners of the country, not only evoke awe but also remind us of the fragility and vulnerability of the wild, which requires constant care and protection.
The Persian leopard was captured on a camera trap in the Ustyurt Natural Reserve. Photo credit: Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources.
Recently, one of these magical moments was captured in the Ustyurt nature reserve. A camera trap recorded the rarest of creatures — the Persian leopard, considered one of the most vulnerable species on the planet. Since April 2021, it has been listed in Kazakhstan’s Red Book, and its appearance on camera was a true gift for researchers. This magnificent animal, with its coat adapted to its region, seems to disappear into the dry, rocky landscapes of its habitat, expertly blending in with the surroundings.
Another precious capture was made in the Charyn national nature park — this time, the camera recorded the manul (Pallas’s cat), an incredibly rare and secretive resident of these lands. Its dense fur, with up to 9,000 hairs per square centimeter, protects it from the harsh Kazakh winters. The wild cat, a master of camouflage, rarely leaves its burrow, preferring to observe the world from its hideout, and its appearance before the camera is an exceptionally rare event.
