Address: It is located in the Chatkal and Atoynak mountain ranges in the Aksy district of the Jalal-Abad region (Kyrgyzstan).
Created in 1959. Area: 23,886 hectares.
Unique representatives of flora and fauna: Pure mountain air, clear lake waters, and diverse flora and fauna.
Sary-Chelek State Biosphere Reserve (Kyrgyz: Sary-Chelek biosphere reserve) is a specially protected natural area in Kyrgyzstan, located in the Chatkal and Atoynak mountain ranges in the Aksy district of the Jalal-Abad region.
The reserve is situated 500 km from Bishkek and 300 km from Osh. It is located in the Arkyt Gorge — a relatively small mountain basin in the Chatkal Mountains. The reserve was established in 1959 to protect and study unique natural landscapes, including lowland steppes, mountain ridges with snow-capped peaks, fast rivers, mountain lakes, flowering valleys, and alpine meadows with diverse flora and fauna.
In this comparatively small national park, you can find over 1,000 species of plants, 160 species of birds, and 34 species of animals, such as deer, bears, lynxes, wolves, foxes, badgers, porcupines, and even snow leopards. Additionally, this reserve is a great destination for those interested in a variety of insect species.
The park consists of river valleys and settlements along the rivers Kara-Suu, Khoja-Ata, Avletim, Agar, and Pacha-Ata. The Khoja-Ata River meanders almost throughout the entire reserve, flowing between bouldered steep banks, creating waterfalls up to 3 meters high. There are glaciers, permanent ice fields, and high mountain lakes. Steep forested valleys are deeply carved into the ridges by fast-flowing streams. Where these ridges meet the plains of the Fergana Valley, the villages of Kyzyl-Tuu, Avletim, and Kashka-Suu are located.
In 1979, the reserve was included in the UNESCO International Biosphere Reserve Network.