EXPEDITION TO NORTHERN TIAN-SHAN

EXPEDITION TO NORTHERN TIAN-SHAN

Researchers from KazNU named after al-Farabi, the Institute of Zoology and the Almaty Reserve made an expedition to the Northern Tien Shan, presenting unique materials of great value to the world scientific community. Film directors from France took part in the project.

The trip to the Ileysky and Kungey Alatau (Northern Tien Shan) in order to study rare carnivorous mammals took place in difficult weather conditions. It took the participants all the strength, perseverance, courage and scientific curiosity to overcome the difficulties of the path and work in the highlands.

The expedition was joined by filmmakers Arthur Gal and Steve Voushia from France, who collected video and photographic materials for a documentary film about the wildlife of Kazakhstan.

The members of the expedition - employees of the Department of Biodiversity and Bioresources and the Institute of Zoology Nazerke Bizhanova, Alexey Grachev, Saltore Saparbayev, Sergey and Maxim Bespalovs - generously shared information with French filmmakers about rare predators - the snow leopard and Turkestan lynx inhabiting the mountains of the Northern Tien Shan and also methods of studying them using traditional field methods and using camera traps.

The expedition allowed the teacher and doctoral student of the 2nd year of the department

biodiversity and biological resources Nazerke Bizhanova to complete the project on the topic: "Population and conservation status of the Turkestan lynx (Lynx lynx isabellina Blyth, 1847) in the Kazakh part of the Northern Tien Shan". The project was funded by the Rufford Foundation (Rufford Small Grants for Nature Conservation).

Thanks to the project, it became possible to study in more detail the rare subspecies of the common lynx. These studies are part of Nazerke Bizhanova's doctoral dissertation "Distribution and taxonomic status of the Turkestan lynx in the Northern Tien Shan."

As a result, Nazerke became one of the winners of the "Best Young Scientist" project organized by the International Center for Sports, Education and Science "Genius". We congratulate Nazerke Bizhanova on this achievement and wish her every success in her further research!

Press service of Al-Farabi KazNU