Kyzylkum Argali Captured by a Camera Trap in Nurata
2026-09-29 11:00:00 / News
In the 1960s and 1970s, the Kyzylkum argali population in the Nurata Mountains numbered only 60–70 individuals. Following the establishment of the Nurata State Nature Reserve in 1975 and the introduction of protection measures for the species, the declining population was successfully safeguarded. Over the following decade, its numbers stabilised, and the population currently stands at around 2,000 individuals. According to the latest spring population survey conducted in 2026, the number of argali was recorded at 2,130 individuals.
The Kyzylkum argali is a vulnerable, declining and patchily distributed subspecies. It is listed in the Red Book of Uzbekistan and on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, and is also included in Appendix II of CITES. Today, this subspecies survives in the Nurata and Aktau mountain ranges, the isolated mountains of Tamdytau, and the Turkestan Range and is believed to possibly occur in the Malguzar Range as well. It inhabits the middle and upper parts of mountainous areas at elevations ranging from 500 to 2,000 metres above sea level.