Tree · Ton District (near Bokonbaevo), Issyk-Kul Region, Kyrgyzstan
Baiboosun Community Reserve
Kyrgyzstan's first community-created local protected area, guarded by village rangers in snow leopard country
Since 2019Works locallyTien Shan mountains · Issyk-Kul basin
- community protected area
- snow leopard
- community rangers
- ecotourism
- Issyk-Kul
- rewilding
Residents of Ton District on the south shore of Issyk-Kul started Baiboosun in 2019 as a community micro-reserve of about 14,000 ha, from 2,800 to 4,478 m. It gained official Local Protected Area status in 2025 and now covers more than 20,000 ha. Community rangers monitor snow leopard, Pallas's cat and over 500 plant species, and a visitor centre for ecotourism and school groups opened on 11 December 2025.
Run by the local Bayboosun Public Foundation, led by Baatyrbek Akmatov, with set-up support from CAMP Alatoo and the Ilbirs Foundation. Former local hunters and fishermen were trained as monitors. The reserve sits next to the Ak Ilbirs ecological corridor, established in 2025.
What they offer
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- Visits to the visitor centre and ecological routes
- A model for community-led protected areas