The Magnificent Seven
Today happens to be International Biodiversity Day, and when I was thinking about today’s postcard my mind went back to a series of articles which used to appear in the Bishkek based newspaper “Obshestniye Reiting“, (“Public Rating”), called “The Magnificent Seven“. One of which was entitled: “The seven rarest animals in Kyrgyzstan.”
It is not clear what was the basis for the choice of the particular animals for inclusion – and although most of these animals are listed in the “Red Book of Kyrgyzstan“, not all of them are. It seemed to me that there were some surprising omissions from the list – such as the Snow Leopard. However, the author did point out that although at one time these seven were widely distributed throughout the countryside of Kyrgyzstan, they are now all on the point of extinction, or at least rarely encountered in the country - and if nothing was done to protect these species then in future they would be available to us as stuffed specimens in museums, in photographs and video clips.
The article also pointed out that some species had been virtually wiped out by mankind for, for example, their meat or for their fur, whilst others had lost their natural habitat as man’s activities spread into more remote mountain areas.
The “magnificent seven” included:
- the Maral Deer;
- the Dzeiran – or Gazelle;
- the Otter;
- the Marbled Polecat;
- the Brown Pigeon;
- the Drofa – or Great Bustard and
- the Eurasian Eagle Owl.
Here is some information about each of these “magnificent seven”:
The Maral Deer (Red Deer): Although they are also sometimes called Red Deer, their colour often varies. Young animals have white spots in their fur, (some adults also have white spots) and in the summer their coat is lighter than in winter. They usually have a white patch on the chest.
These animals live in woods and neighbouring bush land, but in the past they also adapted to life on the steppes and meadows and, (apart from the very high mountainous regions), that’s just about everywhere in Kyrgyzstan. Consequently, about 150 years ago they were found throughout the territory of the republic and their presence is recognised in several place names, names of rivers and other natural boundaries – such as Urmaral. Today, however, they are found mainly in the special reserve in the Naryn region – where there are 300 animals. Some individuals have been spotted in the Eastern part of Issyk Kul, where there seem to have crossed over the border from neighbouring Kazakhstan. Unfortunately, they are very vulnerable to poachers.
Some scholars suggest that the true situation concerning the fate of the Maral Deer is complicated by the fact that similar species have also been introduced from the Caucasus. The main difference between the native and introduced species can be seen in the male of the species. The male deer can be quite large and they grow large antlers, shedding them annually and growing new ones. The antlers of local deer pointed upwards and to the side, whereas the antlers of the introduced species form a small crown at the extremities in mature males. For example: in the 1960s a small number of animals were released into the Sary Chelek area and numbers increased, but then hunting depleted them once more and the species has virtually disappeared from the region. The only sign that there are still some specimens alive is the occasional discovery of discarded antlers.
The Dzheiran – or Gazelle: a small antelope weighing between 20 and 30 kg, which lives in deserts and semi deserts. It is a typical gazelle, with a light build and long slender legs. The fur is a sandy-brown colour on the upper part – but white under parts, and in winter it is usually lighter, more greyish with a touch of ginger. The horns of the male, black and lyre shaped, can extend to some 25-30cm – and the females have small horns up to 8cm long. The black tail is raised when running.
Their natural habitat is more in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, but they used to be found also in the western part of the Issyk Kul basin and in the dry steppes and desert areas of the Ferghana valley. Although the landscape of these areas has remained unchanged, and it is thought that the Gazelle could still thrive in these areas, their numbers have dwindled to the point where they have virtually disappeared. In the early 1960s only 29 animals were known to live in the region near Issyk Kul, by 1966 only 8 could be identified, and in 1968 none were actually observed, although some trails were found. Then, in 1976 a small herd of about 5-6 animals were seen near the Orto Tokoi reservoir in the Naryn oblast. The only known areas where some signs of their continued presence have been observed in recent years has been in some remote parts of the Batken oblast.
The Otter: a large, nocturnal, amphibious animal, that lives by fresh water where fish are abundant. It has brown fur, with a white underbelly, webbed feet, a small flat head and a flattened tail. It livers on fish, small mammals such as water rats and even insects and molluscs.
Once found widely throughout Kyrgyzstan. They were known to live in the Tien Shan, at least until 1912 -but had disappeared from the Issyk Kul region in the early 20th century. Now if any are left in the country they seem to be limited to the Alai and Chatkal regions where the last actual evidence of otters, such as tracks, was discovered as long ago as in 1965.
The Polecat: also known as the Marbled Polecat because of its colouring – a mottled yellow and brown on the top part of the body with a band around its face and eyes, a dark brown underside, short legs and ears tipped with white and a yellow tail.
Although generally a nocturnal animal, it can be active during the daytime. It eats small rodents and even lizards and large insects. When it feels threatened, it raises its tail hair, arching the tail over its back and emits a foul smell to ward of the attacker.
The polecat used to live on the dry foothills of the steppes and low lying valleys … all areas which are now occupied by man and used for agriculture, robbing it of its natural habitat. As a consequence, it is no longer encountered in the Chui, Talas and Ferghana valleys – and seems to be restricted to the undeveloped regions of Djalal Abad oblast – and, interestingly, on the Kazakh side of the Chui river.
The Brown Pigeon (also known as the Yellow-eyed Pigeon): It may seem hard to imagine a pigeon as an endangered species – but there are two that provide cause for concern in this part of Central Asia: The Snow Pigeon, (which is found in the southern mountains of Osh oblast and is listed in the Red Book of Kyrgyzstan), and this one (which is NOT listed in the Kyrgyz Red Book – but IS listed in the Kazakh equivalent).
The Brown Pigeon is a small bird, and is found on the steppes and in low valleys – such as the Chui, Talas and Ferghana valleys. They make their nests in riverbanks and holes in trees. Migratory birds, they winter in Northeastern India and Pakistan, and also a small number are known to spend the winter in Turkmenistan.
The Drofa – or Great Bustard: The drofa is one of the largest birds to be found in Kyrgyzstan. A migratory bird, it used to breed in various parts of the country – especially the steppes and low lying mountain valleys, but recently observed only in the Toktogul area.
The Filin or Eurasian Eagle Owl: the largest of the 10 different species of owl to be found in the country, an adult weighing between 3 and 4kg. It feeds on small mammals such as hares and squirrels, small rodents, birds and even hedgehogs. It used to be found throughout the country and although it is not listed in the Red Book - numbers have dwindled substantially, and part of the reason may be that it’s feathers are used as decoration in the national headdresses – where it is a symbol or token to protect the wearer from “evil spirits”.
Bishkek