An educational event devoted to the Tien-Shan brown bears coming out of winter hibernation will take place from March 15 to 21 on the territory of Ile-Alatau National Park, Tengrinews reports.

'Bear' in mind

High school and college students in Almaty are able to visit the "Ayusay" center where can listen to lectures and go on tour free of charge. They will see unique footage of photo traps installed in the national park, talk to leading theriogenologists of Kazakhstan, and take part in a tour where they will get to see real brown bear tracks and learn to recognize other signs indicating their presence nearby.

The territory of Ile-Alatau National Park, according to the calculations of scientists of the Institute of Zoology of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, is home to about 70 individuals of Tien-Shan bears. Part of the Ile-Alatau National Park belongs to Almaty, the rest of the territory is located in the immediate vicinity of the southern capital and its agglomeration.

The Tien Shan brown bear, also called white-beard, is listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan. But in recent years, thanks to the efforts of Kazakh zoologists and state conservation inspectors, its population in the Ile-Alatau mountains has increased significantly. At the same time, there are many stereotypes and misconceptions among the general population related to the "good-natured bear" and its way of life. 

Sanzhar Katarbayev is a researcher of the Department of Theriology at the Institute of Zoology of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan. He says that this bear species is widespread in the Trans-Ili Alatau. Scientists like him have been recording tracks and other signs of the presence of these predators in the Ayusay Gorgr every season, from spring to fall, since 2010.

"We are glad that the staff of Ayusay Visitor Center is following the recommendation of the Institute of Zoology by educating the people vacationing in the gorge and asking them not to go above the third waterfall because there are bear trails and the possibility of encountering them is quite high. It should be understood that the bear is a powerful and dangerous animal for humans, and before visiting the place where it lives, you need to prepare, learn more about its way of life. So before you go in search of wild animals, come to us for lectures during Brown Bear Week."