Badkhyz Nature Reserve

Badkhyz occupies high broken country in the far south between the Murgab and the Afghan border, and it protects two things of note: an open woodland of wild pistachio that is among the largest anywhere, and the kulan, the Asiatic wild ass, whose population here has been the source for reintroductions across the region. The Yeroyilanduz depression, a salt basin far below the plateau, sits within the reserve.

Background

The reserve dates from 1941 and spreads across 877 square kilometres of the Mary and Akhal Provinces, south of the Karakum Desert, with the Tejen River along its western edge. Its ground is made up of foothills, some standing alone and some in groups, between 20 and 200 m high. Rainfall averages about 280 mm a year, from a minimum of 130 mm to a maximum of 420 mm. A brief spring gives way to 4-5 months of hot summer weather with few cooling winds. Three wildlife sanctuaries set up in 1956, Çemenebit, Gyzyljar and Pulhatyn, form part of it. Wild ass numbers rose from 200 at the founding to 5000, then fell sharply, and about 650 remain.

Source: Wikipedia, "Badhyz State Nature Reserve"

The landscape

• The kulan - the Asiatic wild ass population that supplied reintroductions elsewhere.
• The pistachio woodland - one of the largest stands of wild pistachio anywhere.
• Yeroyilanduz - the salt depression sunk far below the surrounding plateau.
• The border country - the broken high ground between the Murgab and Afghanistan.

When to go

April to May has the best conditions and the spring green. September to October is the other window. Summer heat is extreme and winter is harsh.

Practical notes

Permits are required and are not straightforward to obtain, and the reserve sits in a sensitive border zone. There are no facilities of any kind. Access needs a four-wheel drive and an arranged guide.

Nearby

Ekedeshik is west, and Mary is north.

Key facts