The reserve was established in 1968 in the south-west of the Zaisan basin in order to preserve ungulates such as argali and roe deer, as well as some other animal species listed in the "Red Book of Kazakhstan".
Tarbagatai State Nature (Zoological) Reserve is located on the territory of the Zaisan and Tarbagatai administrative districts of the East Kazakhstan region, it includes the entire Manrak mountain range and the intermountain Chilikty depression.
The area of the reserve is 240 thousand hectares. Its western border runs from the upper reaches of the Espe River (flows into Lake Zaisan), towards the south – to the Kandysu River. From the southwest, the reserve is bounded by the Kandysu River and the Chilikty Valley. 20 kilometers above the village of Shilikty, the line stretches north along the border of Tarbagatai and Zaisan districts, and then down the Karasu River. The northern contour runs along the slope of the Manrak ridge from the Karasu River to the Espe River.
On the territory of the reserve there is a natural monument "Flaming Adyrs", famous for the finds of dinosaur masonry of the Cretaceous period.
The fauna of the reserve includes 2 species of amphibians, 8 - reptiles, 151 - birds and 51 - mammals. The main treasure and uniqueness of the Manrak ridge is its feathered predators, firmly entrenched in the Red Books. Manrak Mountains are suitable for nesting of the saker falcon and peregrine falcon, steppe eagle and golden eagle, eastern emperial eagle, snake eagle, Central Asian buzzard, as well as other small feathered predators. Black vultures frequently fly here - the largest predators that feed on carrion. Their wingspan reaches almost three meters.
