Bayanaul National Park is Kazakhstan's first national park, founded in 1985. It is located in the south of Paviodar region, on the edge of the Central Kazakh Hummocks. The highest point in Bayanaul is Mount Akbet (1027 m).
Local flora includes about 500 species of vascular plants. Most numerous are Compositae, Gramineae, Rosaceae, beans, clove. In the Red Book of Kazakhstan included is alder sticky, Schrenk and drooping tulips, birch Kyrgyz, peony steppe, Adonis spring, wind-flower, feather grass.
In the park there are three large freshwater lakes - Sabyndykol, Zhasybay and Toraigyr.
The fauna of the national park is diverse including 36 species of mammals such as deer, wolf, fox, lynx, badger, hare, marmot, etc. The most important object of protection is Kazakhstan subspecies of mountain sheep (argali).
Rich and diverse is the world of birds - 67 nesting and more than 100 migratory species. Particularly noticeable are wetland and waterfowl that live in large lakes. These are various species of ducks, gulls, terns, great crested grebe, bitter, gray herons, waders (lapwing, redshank, avocet). A spotlight is bright plumage of ruddy shelducks (or red duck), which make their nests in the mountains - in the crevices of the rocks and in holes of foxes or marmots. Only after hatching chicks and walking a long and dangerous journey, the family returns to the water.
In the forests predators ive such as buzzard, hobby, falcon, hawk, the Red Book spieces are rare - golden eagle, imperial eagle, saker, numerous are representatives of the order Passenformes - large tomtt, pnnceing tree pipit, finch, rose finches, reed birds, etc. The harner and the largest sandpiper of local fauna - curlew - nest in the steppe
Of the five species of reptiles ving here, the sand lizard is most frequently met in Bayanaul.
Lakes in Bayanaul are rich in fish - pike, perch, ide, roach, tench and others. Of special tourist interest are some rocks and stones in Bayanaul, which bizarre shape is the result of centuries long treatment of wind and water. Among the most famous is «sculptures Kemp tas (Stone Head).
When viewed from a certain angle, it really resembles the head of a bald toothless old woman with sly grin. Among other bizarre stones is a camel, the heads of a mammoth and gorilla, dinosaur, a dove, a horse head and many others
Popular with mountain climbers is the Nayzatas Mountain that in Kazakh means «stone spear» and the Peak of the bold and mountain Akbet as the highest one. At the top of the Nayzatas Mountain there are six lakes drying up in the rainless period. One of the local sights is the sacred cave of Aulie tas. According to popular belief, everyone who enters the cave and makes a wish, touching the wall with a palm, and then leaves it without turning one’s head to the exit, will have his/her wish come true.
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