Sarkent State Nature Park () is a
national park
A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...
in
Leylek District
Leylek District () is a district of Batken Region in south-western Kyrgyzstan. It borders with Batken District in the east, and Tajikistan in the south, west, and north. Its area is , and its resident population was 146,020 in 2021. The administra ...
of
Batken Region
Batken is a Regions of Kyrgyzstan, region of Kyrgyzstan. Its capital is Batken. It is bounded on the east by Osh Region, on the south, west and north by Tajikistan, and on the northeast by Uzbekistan. The northern part of the region is part of th ...
of
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia lying in the Tian Shan and Pamir Mountains, Pamir mountain ranges. Bishkek is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Kyrgyzstan, largest city. Kyrgyz ...
established in June 2009. The purpose of the park is conservation of the unique natural complexes and biodiversity, protection of rare and endangered flora and fauna, and extension of network of specially protected areas of Kyrgyz Republic. The area of the park is 39,999 hectares.
The park is located in the
Turkestan Range
One of the northern extensions of the Pamir-Alay system, the Turkestan Range (; ; ; ) stretches for a total length of 340 km from the Alay Mountains on the border of Kyrgyzstan with Tajikistan to the Samarkand oasis in Uzbekistan. It runs in ...
, 42 km from the district center
Isfana
Razzakov (; ), formerly known as Isfana, is a town in the extreme western end of Batken Region in southern Kyrgyzstan. The town is located in the southern part of the Fergana Valley, in a region surrounded on three sides by Tajikistan. It was ren ...
and in 177 km from the regional center
Batken
Batken (also called Batkent) is a town in southwestern Kyrgyzstan, on the southern fringe of the Fergana Valley. It is the administrative seat of Batken Region. Since 2000, it is a city of regional significance, i.e. not part of a district. Howeve ...
.
Rare species listed in the Red Book live here, such as the brown bear, the snow leopard, the golden eagle, the lynx, and the saker. The park is located on the very edge of Kyrgyzstan, making visitor levels low. Local authorities are trying to further develop tourism in the area.
Hydrology
The hydrology of the park area in dominated by
Ak-Suu (Syr Darya) river that flows into
Syr Darya
The Syr Darya ( ),; ; ; ; ; /. historically known as the Jaxartes ( , ), is a river in Central Asia. The name, which is Persian language, Persian, literally means ''Syr Sea'' or ''Syr River''. It originates in the Tian Shan, Tian Shan Mountain ...
, and its tributaries. There are five lakes in the nature park including Aykol (located at the altitude of approximately 3,000 meters), Jashylkol, Sutkol, Boyrokkol, and Jashkol.
Fauna
Surveys of the mammals inhabiting the park conducted in 2009-2016 showed occurrence of the following species.
References
Protected areas established in 2009
National parks of Kyrgyzstan
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