The Almaty reserve has been created on May, 15th, 1931, as Small-Almaty with the area of 15 thousand hectares. In 1964 basins of the rivers Esik and Talgar have been attached to reserve territory. Currently, reserve occupies 71,7 thousand hectares. A reserve main objective is the preservation of natural complexes of the central part of Iliysky Alatau.

The big variety of an environment of the territory of the reserve is caused first of all by clearly defined high-rise zonation.

The ridge of Zailey Alatau is located in the north of Tien Shan range. Its central parts it forms Talgarsky mountain junction where reaches the maximum height (peak of Talgar – 4979 m above sea level). The most abounding in water rivers of reserve: Southeast, Left, Middle and Right Talgars, and also Esik and Southern Esik.

Climate

The climate in reserve territory moderated and is subordinated to zonation. The mid-annual temperature of air 8,9°С in foothills and 1,5°С at height of 3 thousand meters. Duration of the cold period in foothills makes more than 4 months, and at height of 3 thousand meters – more than 7 months.

Reserve flora

The reserve flora is rich and various. About 1100 species of the higher plants. From them, rare - more than 50 species, 26 are included in the Red book of Kazakhstan. In the bottom zone of mountains - an apricot, goat's-wheat of Mushketov, an apple-tree of Sivers and extremely seldom an apple-tree of Nedzvetsky, an esa Caucasian, Altay gymnosperium. On the stepped southern slopes meet a tulip Kolpakovsky and Ostrovsky, very rare Albert's iris and iridodictium Kolpakovsky.

Reserve fauna

The reserve fauna is very rich. The fauna of the vertebral includes 225 species (42 species of mammals, 172 species of birds, 2 species of amphibious, 6 species of reptiles, including a venomous snake – mocassin) which meet up to the Alpine zone, more than 2000 species of invertebrates from 8 classes.

Birds: the Alpine chough, snowcock of Himalaya, the bearded vulture, a heath cock, a hawk owl, a forest little owl, a chukar, nutcracker, a three-toed woodpecker, a crossbill, a thrush, a pheasant, etc. Rare and vanishing species is snowcock of Himalaya. The species included in the Red book of Kazakhstan: a golden eagle, a bearded vulture, a whistling thrush, barbary falcon.

Animals: a wolf, a fox, a badger, a maral, the roe, the Siberian mountain goat (tau-teke), a wild boar, a gray marmot, etc. Rare species included in the Red book of Kazakhstan: tian-shan brown bear, tian-shan mountain ram (argali), a stone marten, the Central Asian river otter, a Turkestani lynx, a snow leopard (irbis), manul.