The Arshaty forest masters and foresters are passionate about preserving the beautiful nature of the Altai, where mountain goats frolic and snow leopards roam. They are the ones who set up camera traps on the smooth peaks and photograph rare wild animals.

One side of the Arshaty forestry, with an area of ​​86,000 hectares, borders China, the other - Russia. Lake Buktyrma becomes transparent. The Buktyrma River with white foam originates from Shyndygatai in this forest. Both predatory and ungulate animals inhabit these thick cliffs and rocky peaks, right up to the far corners. In the fall and spring, censuses and inventories are carried out here. This institution in Arshaty, the most remote village in the country, employs 21 inspectors, two forest masters, one forester and his assistant. During periods of fire danger, a freelance fire truck driver and a firefighter are temporarily hired. According to foresters, due to low wages, finding a driver for a fire truck is a problem. However, they are breaking the deadlock by calling other villages. The Arshaty forestry enterprise is headed by Adilzhan Kasymkhanov.

At night, on the way to Arshaty, we more or less talked with foresters in the Tautekeli Valley. The work of the Arshaty foresters, who protect the largest forest of the Katon-Karagay National Nature Park, is extraordinary and heroic. Why? - you ask. Photos of snow leopards, mountain goats and other animals that you see on social networks are taken by these people. Considering that a person cannot calmly follow in the tracks of mountain goats, the work of specialists who tirelessly create camera traps should be especially highly appreciated.

Arshatinsky forestry is divided into the right bank and the left bank of the Buktarma River. All kinds of animals and birds live on the territory of the national park. From predators such as bear, wolf, beaver, sable, to ungulates: roe deer, deer. There are also many species of birds. The bearded vulture also lives here. Now we will start photographing them. We will find out whether they have built nests, hatched or not," says forester Zhomart Amanbayev.

It should be noted that the snow leopard, listed in the "Red Book", was first photographed in the Arshaty forestry of Eastern Kazakhstan. For the first time, the predator from the feline family was caught in a camera trap in Sarybet of this region. This year, the video was captured by a camera created by the Institute of Zoology of Almaty. 

Arshaty foresters have been studying the snow leopard since 2012. In 2008, specialists Zhomart Amanbayev, Nurlan Karabayev, Azamat Mubarakov, as well as specialists from Markakol took part in a ten-day seminar in one of the largest reserves in Russia. There they learned the language of camera traps and improved their knowledge. Let us recall that the snow leopard was photographed in December 2014. However, the first photo was taken on the night of November 23. Indeed, this is big news not only for the national park, but also for the entire country. Even after that, the study of the snow leopard did not stop. 

"Do you think it's easy to set up a camera trap, breaking all your legs?" Manarbek Omarov continued the conversation, looking at the slope behind my head. "I saw a walking leopard with my own eyes. There is no place in the Arshaty Mountains that I have not touched. Have you seen that snow-capped peak?" he said, reaching for the sky-high peak.And as soon as I said "yes", I slipped on the snow surface.
Manarbek, sliding down from the top, saw a leopard in this area. Since there was no camera at hand, few people believed it. It became obvious only after the photos appeared. If you listen to the foresters, the installation of camera traps has many of its own subtleties. If Korim rides up to the gravestones on horseback, then he goes out on foot to the other side. And your ascent, and descent to the slopes where gravel is planted. Getting to the thread of the tiger and leopard is not easy. 

"Ten years ago, after a leopard got into a camera trap in the Arshatinsky forestry, we ourselves became interested. Every time we are going to check the traps on the top of the mountain, we go with the intention of discovering something new. One summer day, a bear destroyed a small camera trap. I wish there were more devices. When the resource runs out, we go and replace it. I am directly involved in the work of removing and installing it. Together with reliable and strong guys like Manarbek Omarov and Akberen Kusmanov, we sometimes climb mountains and walk for tens of hours. Interesting but difficult work," says Zh. Amanbaev.

Imagine what the tarpaulin boots in which foresters walk for dozens of hours on foot in rocky mountains turn into. During the patrols, all sorts of plant species come across under their trampled feet. In general, many types of medicinal herbs and berries grow in the Altai Mountains, such as blueberries, dogwood, black currants, and golden root. Once, while walking in the mountains, Zhomart Amanbayev saw a special branch in the Korala gorge. They met not once, but several times. The most interesting thing is that whether it is summer or winter, the leaves do not fall. He thought what kind of miracles this was, broke the branch and sent it to the scientific department of the national park. As it turned out, it was a ledebour bush growing on rocky slopes.

Since more than half of the Arshatinsky forestry is occupied by forests, the planting of seedlings has been carried out for only twenty years. Before that, in 2003, seedlings were planted on 20 hectares of land. Last year, specialists studied the soil and planted seedlings. 70 percent of them took root.

The work that foresters are currently doing is caring for animals. 320 bundles of birch twigs have been prepared to feed ungulates in the winter. They are located on the 21st circle in the direction of the wild animal trail. An additional 22 tons of prepared hay will be distributed from December. In the summer, they act as guides for tourists. They also show the way to scientists. At the entrance to the checkpoint of the reserve, 16 kilometers from Arshaty, they count the number of tourists and give them instructions. They conduct raids together with fighters from the border outpost named after Rajan Batyrkhanov in Shyndygatai.During the fire-hazardous period, various events are organized to prevent the "silent enemy" of foresters.

According to foresters, the biggest problem is the lack of personnel. There are only about seventy houses left in the village, and it is becoming increasingly difficult for young people to live here. There are few children in school. Each resident of the village is allocated 500-600 cubic meters of firewood. Christmas trees are also provided. Foresters of the incredibly beautiful village of Arshaty are real hardworking citizens.

East Kazakhstan region, Katonkaragay district, Arshaty village

 

Merey Kaynaruly

egemen.kz

translated by Qazalem