Gun Galuut Natural Reserve
Gun-Galuut Natural Reserve is a local protected area for conservation of global threatened species. The Natural Reserve (NR) is founded by the Citizens' Representative Hural (Local Parliament) of Bayandelger county, Tuv Province in 2003. It comprises of 3 zones: tourism, limited, and core zones, which are the ecosystem of steppe, rocky mountain, small lakes, river, streams and wetland, and it is about 20000 hectare.
Amazingly, Gun-Galuut is the state combined from diversity of ecosystem although it owns comparatively small area. The harmonized complex of high mountains, steppes, rivers, lakes and wetlands as well are kept enough as its original condition. Whoever visiting enjoys to see Gun-Galuut vast steppe seems to meet the sky, the imposing mountains Baits and Berkh, a home land of rare creatures, Ikh-Gun and Ayaga lakes, a paradise of birds, Kherlen, the longest river of Mongolia and Tsengiin Burd wetland, in where water and wetland birds lay their eggs.
The fauna and flora of the NR haven't been researched properly but currently 63 mammal species, 81 bird species, 3 amphibian species and 38 fish species are recorded. Most common species are Grey Wolf, Marmot, Souslik, Pika, Vole, Fox, Corsac, Jerboa and Frog. There are many nationally and globally threatened species in the NR. For instance, Argali Wild Mountain Sheep, Siberian White Crane, White-naped Crane, Hooded Crane, Red Falcon, Black Vulture and Swan Goose are globally threatened and listed in the IUCN Red List. Also there are nationally threatened species such as Whooper Swan, Black Stork, Great White Egret, Bar-Headed Goose, Bearded Vulture and Eurasian Penduline.
