Arkhar, The Kyzylkum Mountain Sheep

Ovis ammon severtzovi

Arkhar (or Argali) are the largest known wild mountain sheep in the world, they inhabit a broad range of habitat types, ranging from rolling, high elevation steppe to more mountainous, rugged terrain and live over a vast geographic area, with main populations to be found in China, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia and smaller ones in Afghanistan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Uzbekistan. While the state of argali populations varies from country to country, they all suffer from pressures relating to livestock grazing, habitat loss, unsustainable hunting and poaching. At the same time, habitat degradation, extraction of mineral resources, linear infrastructure and border fences disturb their migration routes. The adult males' impressive horns make them particularly valued and prized by trophy hunters.

The Uzbekistan population in the mountains of the Nurata range belong to the subspecies Ovis ammon severtsovi, which is, with the estimated population of less than 100 individuals, at the edge of extinction...

Few last individuals can be rarely sighted free or in a reserve in the mountains east of Nurata. There, semi-wild few animals are kept in an attempt to preserve them for future generations...