Zapovednik Katunsky, on the south of Gorny Altai Republic, was established in 1991. Its
area is 150,1 thousand ha. It is located in Southern Altai in the upper reaches of the
Katun River.
The topography features are middle mountains and high mountains with absolute
elevations of up to 4000 m above the sea level. The relief is highly dissected.
The area is covered with mountain-taiga dark coniferous Siberian pine-spruce-fir
forests, sub-golets (bald mountain) larch-Siberian pine forests and open woodlands,
mountain tundras, sub-alpine tall-herb meadows and dwarf birch woodlands, high-mountain
alpine type sparse communities.
Ranging through the mountain-taiga forests are the Caspian deer, musk deer, brown bear,
and sable. High mountains are the habitat of the snow leopard, a species listed in the Red
Data Book of the Russian Federation and IUCH. 95 avian species are recorded, including
rare: Altai snow partridge, saker falcon, golden eagle, imperial eagle, white-tailed
eagle.
