Elena Dovletova
Within the specially protected natural areas overseen by Turkmenistan’s Ministry of Environmental Protection, systematic observations of ecosystems, population surveys of ungulates, and evaluations of rare species of flora and fauna are regularly conducted. The data gathered is of high scientific and ecological value and is compiled into a reporting system known as the Nature’s Chronicle. This detailed log, supplemented with video and photographic documentation, is presented during annual review sessions.
Markhor Population Growth
Shaniyaz Menliyev, head of the scientific department of the Koytendag State Nature Reserve, confirms the continued increase in the population of the markhor, a mountain goat with spiral horns found only in the eastern part of the country. According to 2024 data, the adult herd has grown to 1,572 documented individuals. The ecologist noted that on May 3 last year, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution establishing International Markhor Day (May 24). It was first celebrated in the reserve with educational lectures in several secondary schools, warmly received by both children and teachers who actively supported the events. Similar initiatives are planned for this year. Menliyev also discussed recent two-year studies of the diverse world of micro-invertebrates, including unique, little-studied, and previously unknown forms of life.
Koytendag Reserve was the first to adopt “smart-system” technology for monitoring wildlife. This tested practice has been approved by the environmental ministry for broader implementation. For several years, the reserve’s inspectors and scientific staff have used eight smart devices— phones with advanced features. These devices record animal encounters, bird observations, patrol routes, and the placement of “camera traps,” enabling eco-monitoring and mapping of nesting sites of Red Data Book bird species on an electronic geospatial map. Operators systematize the data collected by inspectors into a unified “cartographic” representation of the natural world, allowing analysis of flora and fauna inventories on stationary computers.
The Bear in Subtropical Mountain Forests
Charyyar Tagiyev, head of the scientific department of the Syunt-Khasardag State Nature Reserve, and his colleagues continue monitoring a brown bear that has settled in the reserve’s mountain forests. According to the ecologist, the bear shows no aggression toward humans, either fleeing or calmly retreating (documented in three videos), and feeds on roots, nuts, fruits, and other natural forage. Over seven years of observation, only three cases of attacks on livestock far from human settlements were recorded, which reserve staff consider accidental given the abundance of food in the mountain forests.
In the past, the species was common in the valleys of the Sumbar and Chendyr rivers, but by the late 20th century, sightings became rare, with tracks last reported in 1996. In 2018, fresh tracks (heel width 13 cm) were found, and the bear was spotted on the Tagarev ridge between the Western and Central Kopetdag. Local residents also reported seeing an adult bear with a cub in the same area. Border guards noted a bear crossing the border with Iran via a dug passage. It remains unclear which direction the bear traveled or how many bears inhabit the subtropical forests of southwestern Turkmenistan, including the Aydere and other sections of the Syunt-Khasardag Reserve. Conflicting data and track measurements (possibly indicating a female and a grown cub or a migrating female) leave questions unanswered. Scientists have continued observations and installed camera traps, hoping the bears will establish a population and naturally reclaim their historical range.
Sightings continued in 2019–2020. In March and November 2021, the bear was captured on video by an automatic camera in the Blovly area of Syunt-Khasardag, with tracks (heel width 13 cm) found nearby. In 2022, it was recorded twice by a “camera trap” without human involvement, despite challenging conditions like twilight or snowfall. These records confirm the presence of at least one bear in Syunt-Khasardag. In recent years, signs of its presence and feeding have been found in the Koshtemir and Goyunodalan gorges near the Aydere section. Efforts to map its habitat based on reports from shepherds, locals, and border guards suggest the bear’s range may span 50,000 hectares. The species is listed in the fourth (current) edition of Turkmenistan’s Red Data Book.
The Air Rings with the Crane’s Call
Every autumn and spring, migrating cranes are observed feeding at the “Durnaly” (“crane place”) and within the Myane-Chaacha Sanctuary of the Kopetdag State Nature Reserve in the Akhal province. Around their resting sites, ecologists organize supplementary feeding and conduct environmental education for locals, especially youth. In the “crane region,” villagers hold symbolic crane-welcoming events, prepare treats, and children perform “crane dances,” while schools host drawing and poster contests. On average, several dozen crane flocks (around 90, sometimes more or fewer) pass through Turkmenistan, though not all stop to rest and feed on their way to nesting grounds in Russia’s Zavolzhye wetlands. Their numbers vary, with 50, 100, or 150 birds recorded in different years. This year, the first flock passed through in late February, the last in April. Bayram Tirkishev, a researcher at the Kaplankyr State Nature Reserve, reported a crane sighting at Sarykamysh Lake, delighting naturalists who have intensified bird monitoring in Dashoguz province’s lakes since last year, hoping to spot the majestic bird again. ///Originally published by Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper, 8 July 2025