page_title: Saylyugemsky National Park
section_title: Animals
hierarchical_section_title: Saylyugemsky National Park / Animals
caption_attribution_description: English: A snow leopard pictured in Moscow Zoo Русский: Снежный барс в Московском зоопарке.
context_page_description: Saylyugemsky National Park sits at the mountainous "X" where the borders of Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China meet in the Altai Mountains of central Asia. Because of its remoteness and position at the meeting points of mountains, steppes, desert and forest, it is a globally important natural reserve for biodiversity. The park was formally established in 2010–2012, with a particular purpose of protecting the vulnerable Altai argali mountain sheep and the endangered Snow leopard. The component Saylyugem Mountains are a ridge of the Altai, and stretch to the northeast to the Sayan Mountains. The climate is cold and semi-arid. Administratively, the park is located in the Kosh-Agachsky District of the Altai Republic. While ecotourism has a stated role, visits to the territory currently require special passes from park administration, and activities are limited to roads and trails.
context_section_description: The snow leopard is a primary focus of the park's conservation efforts. An estimated 15-20 individuals live in the territory, with another 50-60 in the buffer areas.  They live at the higher elevations in rocky settings, where their stocky bodies and thick fur make them well-adapted. Saylyugemsky is at the northern edge of their range. A primary prey of the leopard are the Altai-Sayan mountain goat (ibex), of which there are an estimated 3,200-3,700 in the park. In 2015, scientists found evidence of a rare Saylyugemsky bear, which had been thought to be extinct in the area for 30 years. Sylyugemsky is the central breeding area of the Siberian mountain goat, with groups of cross-border argali number 500-550 individuals.
  The usual ungulates are found - deer and elk - with the musk deer notable because illegal trapping for their musk is done with wire snares that sometimes accidentally entrap a snow leopard.
  The ridge is also a breeding area for the endangered Saker falcon, whose numbers have declined in recent years due to poaching. The southern sections of the park have recorded 146 species of birds, including the white-tailed eagle, steppe eagle, golden eagle, bearded vulture, black vulture, griffon vulture, peregrine falcon, lesser kestrel, and Altai snowcock.
caption: Snow Leopard in the Moscow Zoo
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