Explore Korgalzhyn: Kazakhstan's wildlife haven limits visitors to protect its pink flamingos and unique steppe life

UNESCO recognizes the Korgalzhyn Nature Reserve in northern Kazakhstan as a World Heritage Site. This unique territory covers an impressive expanse of over 1930 square miles. It features steppes and salt lakes that provide habitats for 365 bird species, along with many distinctive mammals and plants.

The Reserve is part of Central Asia's first natural site to be listed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2008. The Naurzum Nature Reserve is included in the Saryarka - Steppes and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan biosphere reserve.

Entry into the reserve is not freely available to drive through or visit whenever. Prospective visitors must apply in advance at the office in Korgalzhyn village, which is 80 miles southwest of Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. The number of visitors and the frequency of entries are strictly controlled, with access permitted only twice a week.

Given the reserve's vastness, tours are conducted by car, with only a limited number of vehicles permitted on designated days. A small fee is required for a mandatory guide in each car, who decides the route to avoid getting stuck and to optimize chances of observing unique fauna and flora. Guides are equipped with telescopes and binoculars for visitors who don’t bring their own.

According to guide Gulmira, the decision to significantly limit tourist numbers comes from the observation that larger crowds disturbed certain species, such as pink flamingos, preventing them from nesting in the area. These birds breed in the salt lake Tengiz, three times Lake Constance's size.

The reserve contains several salt lakes, vital for feeding pink flamingos. Observations are usually done from one of the smaller lakes, where the birds are seen from about 328 yards away. The area is also a haven for large birds, including cranes, various herons, pelicans, hawks, steppe eagles, Montagu's harriers, and other birds of prey, with the black lark among the smaller bird species.

Unauthorized entry into the reserve is effectively impossible. Natural barriers play a key role in this, and guard posts are set up where entry by road is feasible. Near Korgalzhyn, guards are stationed for three days, while in more remote areas, shifts extend to seven days. To give an idea of the reserve’s vastness, it is noted to be larger than half of the Opole Voivodeship.

The reserve's wildlife includes several dozen mammal species, including marmots and steppe polecats. The flora is graced by endemic wild tulips, blanketing the steppe as far as the eye can see.

"You're in luck. They only bloom for 10-12 days a year, and in three days, they will vanish," remarks the guide, sharing that the reserve was established during her adulthood. “When I was a child, there was little recognition of the area’s significance. We used to think flamingos were just red geese,” she recalls with a smile.

Following a tour that lasts several dozen minutes, visitors are encouraged to explore the museum and pick up a DVD in three languages that details the reserve's natural treasures. The international NGO Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia supported the production of this DVD and informational brochures.