Census of the Tian Shan Maral in the Naryn State Nature Reserve and its Buffer Zone

From September 15 to 20, 2025, rangers of the Naryn State Nature Reserve together with specialists from the Ilbirs Foundation conducted a census of the maral population in the Naryn River valley. This survey has been carried out for the third consecutive year, covering the territory of the reserve and its buffer zone.

In 2023, within the framework of the CAMCA project, a new methodology was developed specifically for the Kyrgyz Republic: “Visual counts of marals from observation points during natural concentrations, combined with counts of calling stags.” In the first year of research, this method was tested in the field, proved its effectiveness, and was officially adopted at the national level.

During the 2025 census, researchers were able to cover the key habitats of marals in the Naryn River valley more comprehensively. This was made possible thanks to accumulated experience and favorable timing of the survey. Additionally, a volunteer of the Ilbirs Foundation used a drone equipped with a thermal imaging camera, which allowed surveying hard-to-reach areas and detecting additional animals hidden from the observers’ sight. According to preliminary data, significantly more marals were recorded this year compared to previous counts. The initial results are encouraging and give hope for the further growth of the maral population in the reserve and its expansion into new territories, such as the forests of the northern part of the At-Bashy Range.

Background:
The range of the maral is extensive and includes the Tian Shan, Jungar Alatau, Tarbagatai Range, Saur, Altay, Sayan Mountains (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia), as well as Northern Xinjiang and Northern Mongolia up to the Greater Khingan Range. However, the Tian Shan maral (Cervus canadensis songaricus) is a mountain Central Asian subspecies found in the Kyrgyz Republic and in the southeastern regions of Kazakhstan. It is listed in the Red Data Book of the Kyrgyz Republic as Category IV, Endangered (EN C2a(i): R). In the 19th century, this species was widespread in almost all spruce forests of Kyrgyzstan, but by 1980 it had disappeared from most of its range.