Zakatala State Reserve

The reserve of Zakatala, located in the north of Azerbaijan, was created in 1929. It consists of an area of 25.218 ha on the southern slopes of the Caucasus mountains.

Wildlife

At higher altitudes, glaciers and alpine meadows can be found and are characteristic of the reserve. Leafy forests extend to the foot of the mountains, mainly consisting of Oriental beeches (Fagus orientalis).

The fauna of mammals is rich, including Caucasian brown bears and lynxes. The reserve is also known for its diverse range of birds such as the golden eagle (Aquilla chrysaetos), Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus), griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus), but especially bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) and monk vulture (Aegypius monachus).

Among the local species, shikra (Accipiter badius) can be found along the rivers and Caucasian snowcock (Tetraogallus caucasicus) are present in the rock falls.