Kurchum District can be called a territory of contrasts. There are sun-baked plains, mountains with snow-capped peaks, and wild taiga with bears and marals. And in the center - the reserved Lake Markakol. It is the largest high-mountain lake in Kazakhstan. And only here you can find plenty of uskuch fish.
The Markakol Nature Reserve was established on August 4, 1976, on an area of 71,367 hectares.
The plant diversity of the Markakol Reserve includes more than seven hundred species of land plants. The vegetation of the Markakol basin includes 72 plant species which are subject to special protection. Among them, 23 species are listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan. In addition, 71 plant species found on the territory of the Markakol Reserve are included in the lists of plants protected within the Altai-Sayan eco-region.
The animal population of the reserve is extremely diverse. It consists of 316 vertebrate species, 59 of which are mammals, 245 are birds, 4 are reptiles, 2 are amphibians, and 6 are fish. Among them, 22 species are listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Kazakhstan and 11 species – in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Of the mammals, it is the snow leopard and the beech marten. Among the birds – Altai snowcock, golden eagle, white-tailed eagle, osprey and others.
