Rare wildlife encounter: Argali filmed in Bayanaul National Park
A rare argali sheep has been captured on camera in the Bayanaul National Natural Park in Pavlodar region, drawing attention on social media, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
The wild animal was filmed running alongside a road, an unusual sight that sparked lively discussion among social media users.
The argali is a wild mountain sheep listed in Kazakhstan’s Red Book of endangered species. Its population in Pavlodar region has been gradually increasing, a positive sign for wildlife conservation. The animals typically avoid human presence and inhabit remote mountain gorges, making sightings and video footage relatively rare.
The latest encounter was recorded in the Bayanaul National Park by local blogger Aman Zhussupbayev, who captured the animal running along a wire fence beside the road.
“We unexpectedly encountered an argali right beside the road in the national park and were fortunate enough to capture this unique moment on video,” the blogger said.
According to national park specialists, around 800 argali sheep inhabit the Bayanaul area. They live year-round in mountainous terrain and graze on mountain peaks.
The mating season for argali runs from October to November. During this period, males and females stay together, while males generally live separately during the rest of the year.
Earlier, Qazinform reported camera traps recorded wildlife in Kazakhstan’s Aksu-Zhabagly nature reserve.