Tounsor State Nature Sanctuary (zoological)

Tounsor State Nature Sanctuary — established in 1974 for a period of 10 years. It has great regional significance.

Geographic location

Kostanay region, Kamysty district, covering 55 thousand ha of the Orkashov grain state farm. More than half of its area consists of lakes such as Tengez, Alaköl, Kayyngdy, etc.

Flora and fauna

There are tens of thousands of water birds here. In particular, grey goose, white‑headed goose, greylag goose, duck, and fisher birds pass over the sanctuary and temporarily settle while flying. Among them, the red‑billed teal and the white‑necked swan are listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan. The sanctuary also hosts wild hare, rabbit, marmot, weasel, vole, and fox. In addition to protecting predatory birds, additional work such as counting them, installing nesting boxes for water birds, and eliminating predators has been carried out.