National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan

This endangered and locally distributed subspecies is listed in the Red Book of Uzbekistan, the IUCN Red List and Appendix I of the CITES Convention. Until the mid-20th century, the Central Asian otter was widely found in the river basins of the Syr Darya, Zarafshan, Amu Darya, and its delta. However, over the past 50 years, its habitat range has significantly diminished. Today, the species survives only in limited areas, including a stretch from the Amu Darya to the Kyzylkum Reserve.

The Kyzylkum State Nature Reserve was established on June 23, 1971, and is located across the Khorezm (8,844 ha) and Bukhara (1,467 ha) regions. The reserve is home to 359 species of animals, including 37 species of mammals, 266 birds, 29 reptiles, 2 amphibians and 25 species of fish. Of these, 50 species are listed in the Red Book of Uzbekistan.

Frequent inhabitants of the reserve include the Bukhara deer, wild boar, jackal and the Amu Darya Perdix.