Organized tours to the Korgalzhyn Nature Reserve have been launched in Kazakhstan, El.kz reports.
Two hours from the City
The Korgalzhyn State Nature Reserve is located approximately a 2-hour drive fromбAstana. It is one of the largest steppe reserves in Central Asia and is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It serves as the nesting ground for the world’s northernmost population of greater flamingos.
Excursions are conducted by a reserve ranger - an employee who knows the territory and leads groups to observation points as close as is safely possible for the birds. The program also includes a visit to the reserve's museum and visitor center. The tour cost is 19,500 tenge.
What You Can See
In addition to flamingos, the reserve's lakes are home to swans, herons, pelicans, and shorebirds. June is the season when the steppe is in bloom: adonis and pasqueflowers cover the reserve in a solid carpet. The combination of birdlife and the flowering steppe makes the route visually stunning even without the "main character" in the frame.
No Guarantees for Flamingos
The organizers give a fair warning: it is impossible to guarantee a flamingo sighting. The birds move freely depending on the weather, water levels in the lakes, and other natural factors.
"The reserve is a living natural area, not a zoo, so the birds move freely depending on weather conditions, the season, and other environmental factors," the organization clarified
This is a fundamental difference from the typical format of a zoo or a petting farm.
