Buiratau National Park
Tulipa patens, Kazakhstan
Home to argali, deer, steppe eagles, and dozens more wildlife species, Buiratau National Park (full name: Buiratau State National Nature Park) is located in the Yereymentau Mountains, about 60 km (37 miles) east of Astana, Kazakhstan’s capital. Situated at the juncture of two distinct steppe subzones—moderately arid steppe and dry steppe—and marking the southern boundary of relict black alder and birch forest habitat, the park boasts a rare blend of steppe and forest ecosystems.
“Buiratau,” which translates from Kazakh as “curly mountains,” was established on March 11, 2011 as Kazakhstan’s 12th national park. Covering nearly 22,000 acres, the park was created to preserve a unique transitional zone between dry and semi-arid steppe and forest ecosystems of the Kazakh Uplands of central Kazakhstan. In line with the mission of Kazakhstan’s national parks system, Buiratau also seeks to educate the local community about environmental conservation by acquainting them with typical and unique landscapes, flora, and fauna.
Buiratau consists of two sections—“Yereimantau" and "Belodymovsky". The park’s diverse vegetation, shaped by the region’s landscape features, comprises five main types: forest, shrub, steppe, meadow, and wetland.
