Ile-Alatau National Park

Ile-Alatau National Park (Kazakh: Іле Алатауы ұлттық паркі, Ile Alatauy ülttyq parkı ; Russian: Иле-Алатауский национальный парк, Ile Alatauskiy Natsional'nyy Park) is a national park in Kazakhstan. It was created in 1996 and covers about 200,000 ha. It is situated in the mountains south of Almaty between Gorge Turgen in the east and Chemolgan River in the west. The National Park borders Almaty Nature Reserve, which is located around Pik Talgar.[1][2]

Ile-Alatau National Park
View of Big Almaty Lake
Location of the Ile-Alatau National Park
LocationAlmaty, Almaty Region, Kazakhstan
Nearest cityAlmaty
Coordinates43°5′0″N 77°5′0″E
Area200,000 ha (490,000 acres)
Established1996

The landscape includes woodlands, alpine meadows, glaciers and lakes, including Big Almaty Lake. Remarkable trees include apricot, maple, and apple. A total of 300 species of birds and animals have been recorded from the Ile-Alatau National Park.[3] The park is home to snow leopards, Central Asian lynx, Tian Shan brown bears, Central Asian stone martens, Siberian ibexes, bearded vultures and golden eagles. Other notable bird species found in Ile-Alatau National Park include Himalayan snowcock, ibisbill, Eurasian scops owl, and Eurasian three-toed woodpecker.[4][5][6] The park also protects specific species of deer whose antlers are believed to have medicinal properties.[7]

In 2021, the Ile-Alatau National Park celebrated its 25th anniversary.[8]

Climate

The climate in the national park is diverse and differentiated by altitude climatic zones. Summers are warm, winters are mild due to a pronounced inversion of air temperature. In the foothills, the average January temperature is -7.4°С, and 23°С in July. The duration of the frost-free period is 181 days, and 560 mm of precipitation falls per year. In the Maloalmatinsky gorge (Medeu tract), at an altitude of 1530 m, the temperature in January is -4.3°C, and 18.1°C in July. The duration of the frost-free period is 145 days, and 843 mm of precipitation falls per year. At an altitude of 3035 m (Mynzhilki tract), in conditions of eternal snow and glaciers, the average January temperature is −11.3°С, and 7°С in July. The duration of the frost-free period is 53 days, and 734 mm of precipitation falls annually. In the high-mountainous part of the Zailiyskiy Alatau at an altitude of 3750 m, the climate is harsh, and there is a lot of precipitation - 800-1300 mm, mainly in the form of snow. The warm period is very short - the average air temperature on the glaciers in summer does not exceed 2.8°С.

Snow cover according to long-term observations in the foothills (850 m) is established on December 6, in the middle mountains (1200-2500 m) - a month earlier, in the highlands (3000 m) - on October 21. In spring, snow melts at different heights and in different mountains from March 10 to May 22. The number of days with snow cover at different altitudes varies from 111 to 236. The height of the snow cover in the foothills is about 30 cm, in the middle and high mountains it can reach 100 cm.

The Zailiyskiy Alatau stands as a high forward barrier on the way of the northern and northwestern moisture-carrying air masses, which freely penetrate through the main valleys deep into the mountains, causing a clear differentiation of natural landscapes at altitude. The territory of the park covers low-mountain, mid-mountain and high-mountain landscapes, which reflect the layered structure of the mountains.[9]

  • Near observatory.
  • Watchtower in Big Almaty Lake.
  • Lake in winter.
  • Water pipe from the lake.
  • Lake during a fog.

Panoramic view
Winter time panoramic view of the park.
Kok Zhailau landscape.

References
  1. "Ile-Alatau National Park". almaty-kazakhstan.net. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
  2. "State National Park "Ile-Alatau"". welcometokazakhstan.com. Archived from the original on 24 February 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
  3. "Ile-Alatau National Park". Weekenborg Solutions. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  4. "Species With Materials Recorded in Ile Alatau National Park". Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  5. "Ile-Alatau national park". trekkingclub.kz. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
  6. "Tour Kazakhstan - Hidden Zhetysu Wonderland". bioexploration.org. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
  7. Himes, Katherine (June 30, 2015). "Science and Culture Collide: Living and Working as a Science Diplomat in Central Asia". Science and Diplomacy. Various special types of deer are protected for the specific purpose of harvesting blood from the horn. This blood is then used to create a traditional tincture, purported to cure many ailments—anemia, virility issues, and immune deficiency problems.
  8. Ku, Abira; February 2021, yk in Tourism on 27 (2021-02-27). "Ile-Alatau National Park Celebrates 25th Anniversary, History of Conservation". The Astana Times. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
  9. Иле-Алатауский государственный национальный природный парк (in Russian). 2015. pp. 25–26. ISBN 978-6017059-70-5.


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