Charyn Canyon Wildlife: Animals and Plants to See

Wildlife of Charyn: what actually lives here

32 mammal species, over 100 bird species, around 1,000 plant species. Twenty-seven are in Kazakhstan's Red Book.

Verified: 2026-08

The park is unusually rich for a semi-desert region.

Group	Species
Mammals	32
Reptiles	18
Amphibians	4
Birds	over 100
Vascular plants	about 1,000
Rare and endemic plants	over 50
Species in Kazakhstan’s Red Book	27

Mammals

At the Kyzylkarasai site, goitered gazelles calve — it is a habitat and calving ground for a species listed in Kazakhstan’s Red Book.

Illustration Zoological illustration: goitered gazelle standing in profile on steppe ground

Siberian ibex hold the rocky sections.

Illustration Zoological illustration: Siberian ibex on a rocky ledge

Worth mentioning separately is the Pallas’s cat, a secretive steppe feline recorded more often by camera traps than by people.

Illustration Zoological illustration: Pallas's cat crouching among rocks

Not verified yet Whether the Pallas’s cat footage was recorded in Charyn park specifically. In February 2026 a foreign outlet reported a camera trap capturing the rare steppe cat in Kazakhstan, citing the park, but we have not confirmed the location.

Birds

Rare species nest at Kyzylkarasai: the saker falcon and the houbara bustard.

Illustration Ornithological illustration: saker falcon perched on a rock

Illustration Ornithological illustration: houbara bustard walking on open steppe

Illustration Ornithological illustration: steppe eagle soaring, seen from below

Plants

The main botanical value is Sogdian ash, a Paleogene relict covered on the separate ash grove page.

Saxaul, Eurotia and ephedra hold the desert communities.

Illustration Botanical illustration: saxaul with leafless jointed twigs

Illustration Botanical illustration: ephedra with jointed stems and red cones

At the Ulken Buguty site, 61 rare and endemic plant species are protected.

What you will realistically see

Honestly: most of the above you will not encounter. Gazelle, saker falcon and Pallas’s cat are secretive, and their presence on a list means they live here, not that they are shown to visitors.

Realistic chances are birds overhead on the drive and small mammals near the road early in the morning.

Feeding animals is prohibited by the visiting rules, as is frightening them.

→ Rules of visiting

Frequently asked questions

What animals might I see at Charyn?

The territory holds 32 mammal species and over 100 bird species. Realistically, steppe eagles, gazelles, foxes and hares along the access road are your best chance, especially early in the morning.

Sources

Materials of the Charyn National Park administration