Thread by @PaulSalopek

The #Ustyurt plateau in Central Asia, shared by Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan & Turkmenistan, is among the most beautiful wildlands I've hiked through on the @outofedenwalk. Today, multinational teams of biologists advocate that more of it be protected for wildlife. 1/
Pic: Mark Peskov

The region shelters endangered Persian leopards, saiga antelopes, threatened vultures, dwindling reptile populations, & many other species. The #Ustyurt is an important conservation frontier being studied by friends @NarynTRosen, Mark Peskov, & others. 2/
Pic: Mark Peskov

It's threatened by energy development, illegal hunting & border fences. Fortunately, most governments involved seem willing to consider ecological protections. Some resources:
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A report by Mark & colleagues: bit.ly/3mX9lap

A talk by Tanya: bit.ly/2WQx8Oy

Some more pics of this remarkable region (on the Kazakh side, called Mangystau) by biologist Mark Peskov:
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Correction: Mark PESTOV. (Sorry, Mark!) The camera trap pic of the gazelle Gazella subgutturosa at the watering hole was a camera trap image captured by a multinational team of biologists working in Mangystau, Kazakhstan.

Desert steppes are not wastelands. The cat pictured above is the lynx-like Caracal caracal, & the mountain sheep with lambs is Ovis vignei, a vulnerable species. All camera traps (& these pics) are from the Central Asian Desert Initiative project: cadi.uni-greifswald.de/ru/start-2/

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