Pictures credit: Tatiana Turkovskaya

The disappearance of the species was driven by poaching and the loss of natural habitats. The last small groups of gazelles were recorded around Issyk-Kul in the mid-20th century, but by the 1980s they had fully disappeared from the wild in Kyrgyzstan. Today, the goitered gazelle is listed as a Vulnerable species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, underscoring the urgent need for its restoration. 

The return of the goitered gazelle became possible thanks to an initiative of the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme implemented by UNDP in Kyrgyzstan under the ICCA-GSI framework. The reintroduction project was implemented by the public association Argali Foundation and aimed to restore the population in its historical habitats on the southwestern shore of Issyk-Kul. 

Between 2021 and 2023, 27 gazelles were brought to the region (15 supported by GEF SGP and 12 with the assistance of the German Nature Conservation Union). Thanks to the creation of favorable conditions, expansion of the habitat to 50 hectares, and systematic care and monitoring, the population grew to 70 individuals. As part of the project, spacious enclosures were built, natural habitats were restored, and methodologies for feeding, care, and wildlife monitoring were developed. 

In August 2025, the most emotional moment of the project arrived. After several years of breeding and adaptation, 30 gazelles were released into the wild for the first time. When the enclosure gates opened, the animals paused briefly before running into the steppe—into landscapes where their species had been absent for decades. To monitor adaptation, six individuals were equipped with satellite tracking devices. 

The initiative received high-level political support. President Sadyr Japarov publicly called on local authorities, residents, hunters, and herders to support efforts to restore the gazelle population and prevent human-induced threats. He emphasized that the return of gazelles to the shores of Issyk-Kul after nearly a century is not only a contribution to conserving a species listed in the Red Book, but also an important step toward ecosystem restoration, biodiversity conservation, and the development of sustainable eco-tourism. 

However, releasing animals is only the beginning. For gazelles to establish a stable population in the wild, they require a protected area with access to water and food resources. This is why the next phase is the creation of the state-level “Jeyren Ordo” zoological reserve—an initiative that forms part of Kyrgyzstan’s broader strategy to expand its network of specially protected natural areas. 

Initially, the plan envisioned a local-level reserve covering 9,763 hectares. However, on the initiative of the Ministry of Natural Resources, its status was elevated to a state-level protected area, and its territory expanded to 16,945 hectares. In 2026, alongside the institutional process, practical ecosystem restoration measures were launched. 

As part of the presidential “Jashyl Muras” greening campaign, UNDP and partners carried out a planting initiative in the Jeyren Ordo area, where 1,500 saxaul saplings were planted. These efforts contribute to restoring degraded land, improving habitat conditions for gazelles, and strengthening ecosystem resilience. 

Submissions have been prepared for the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Institute of Biology of the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic, district administrations, and local self-government bodies (aiyl okmotu). A cartographic plan of the reserve has been developed and agreed upon at both local and scientific levels. The Ministry has initiated interagency coordination in accordance with the Law of the Kyrgyz Republic on Specially Protected Natural Areas. 

Further project development includes ensuring sustainable water and fodder supply for the animals. Instead of costly groundwater drilling, an environmentally sustainable solution is being considered: the installation of hydraulic ram pump systems that use the energy of flowing water without external power sources. This will help create long-term conditions for the conservation of the gazelle population. 

The project is also open to partnerships and co-financing for essential infrastructure to ensure the sustainable functioning of the reserve. Such efforts strengthen the ecosystem and support the long-term conservation of this rare species. 

The second phase of the project is supported by the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme, implemented by UNDP under the COMDEKS programme — Community Development and Knowledge Management for the Satoyama Initiative. The Satoyama philosophy is based on “living in harmony with nature,” where local communities maintain a balance between economic needs and environmental well-being. 

Launched in 2022, COMDEKS Phase 4 is funded by the Ministry of the Environment of Japan (MOEJ) and the Keidanren Nature Conservation Committee (KCNC), and implemented through the GEF Small Grants Programme under UNDP.