Bukhara specialized nursery "Jayron"

"Jayron" Bukhara specialized nursery — located on the edge of the Momojurgoti plateau south of the city of Kogon in Bukhara region. A scientific center specialized in breeding and reintroducing rare desert animals in Central Asia.

History

It is part of the State Committee for Environmental Protection of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Established in 1976. Area 5145 ha. From 1977, 42 adult jayrons (black‑tailed) were brought to the nursery and breeding work began (by 1987 their number reached 1225 and they were distributed to neighboring and other regions according to plan). Here, together with jayrons, breeding and research are carried out on species such as the sand cat, steppe wolf, cheetah, Prjevalski’s horse, Bukhara gazelle (hangul), which are listed in international and the Red Book of the Republic of Uzbekistan. In autumn, bustards, white storks, red‑legged partridges and many raptors are observed. In the southern part of the center there are artificial lakes created by the Amu‑Bukhara canal. They serve as water sources for ungulates and attract many water birds. The area around the center is surrounded by a fence 36 km long and 2 m high to prevent predators from entering.

Species Living in the Nursery

Within the nursery area many species listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Uzbekistan and internationally live. One of them is Prjevalski’s horse, which actually is not native to the fauna of Uzbekistan. Height low, body large, neck short and thick, the shoulder height of the horse is 125‑135 cm, body length up to 230 cm, legs slender, weight up to 300 kg. The mare is smaller than the stallion. The mane is short and stands upright, the forehead has no mane. Very cautious. Feeds on desert plants. Gestation period 11 months, 1‑2 foals are born. Historically lived in the north‑west deserts of China and Mongolia (Jungaria). Last encountered in the wild in 1967 and 1969‑1970. Now can be seen only in zoos or reserves. Listed in the Red Book as a declining species, only about 2000 individuals remain worldwide. This species was brought to Bukhara in 1987 from Saint‑Petersburg, initially bred in captivity, then released into the reserve. Currently 18 individuals of Prjevalski’s horse are known to live in the nursery. In addition, the reserve holds 1203 jayrons, 164 Turkmen wolves, as well as in a volier 47 Bukhara mountain goats and 1 Bukhara gazelle. In the jayron nursery, besides animals, more than 250 plant species grow. Among animals, 32 species of mammals, over 250 species of birds throughout the year, 18 species of reptiles, 2 species of amphibians, 8 species of fish and more than 700 species of invertebrates have been recorded.