WWF-Russia handed over uniforms to rangers of the Naryn Reserve in Kyrgyzstan

The gift was made as a part of the WWF-GLIP project “Creating an Ecological Network in the Central and Inner Tien Shan”. Earlier, similar assistance from WWF was received by the Sarychat-Ertash State Nature Reserve.

The Naryn State Nature Reserve occupies a huge for Kyrgyzstan area of 105.5 thousand hectares. This territory is divided into 17 ranger districts, where each ranger has to protect an average of more than 6 thousand hectares. For this, ranger regularly goes on raids in the severe climatic conditions of the high mountains. Strongly crossed relief forces them to move only on horseback or by feet, and the raids last from one to two weeks.

The waterproof and windproof suits handed over to the reserve, as a set with thermal underwear and berets, will now greatly facilitate the work in difficult field raids. The employees of the reserve confirm, that the uniform arouses respect among local residents and scares off poachers, helping to prevent environmental violations.

“The project is focused primarily on direct assistance - both to the reserves themselves and to the  local residents of the surrounding territories - which is very effective in preserving the high-mountain ecosystems and the main flag species - the snow leopard,” commented the scientific adviser of the Central Asian WWF program, Olga Pereladova.

The WWF-GLIP project is devoted to the conservation of wildlife  and natural ecosystems in the Kyrgyz Republic, primarily  - the habitats of rare and endangered species. For this, the efforts of the project in the country are devoted to the creation of  ECONET - a unified network of specially protected natural areas (SPNA), a comprehensive sustainable management of natural resources is developed. The Naryn Reserve itself, located on the territory of the Inner Tien Shan, is a new territory for WWF Russia; work here began last year.

 Photo credits: (с) Nikolay Kuznetsov / WWF-Russia