View source for Saryesik-Atyrau Desert

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[[File:Balkhash labeled eng.jpg|thumbnail|Satellite image of Saryesik-Atyrau Desert]]
The '''Saryesik Atyrau Desert''' stretches for about 400&nbsp;km south of [[Lake Balkhash]] in eastern [[Kazakhstan]]. It is a sand desert, relatively ecologically healthy with little erosion.  There are a great number of small lakes and ponds in the desert, as well as occasional grasslands, that support a varied animal and bird population.

== Nature ==
The Saryesik-Atyrau Desert borders the [[Ili River]] delta in the west, which is home to a large wild boar population. The wild boar are mainly found in the reed beds, but enter the fringes of the desert. Here they are often found around [[Halostachys caspica|karabarak bushes]]. The desert itself is home to [[goitered gazelle]]s and a small population (about 150) of the [[Saiga antelope]]. The [[Asian wild ass]] (''[[Equus hemionus kulan]]'') however, is extinct in the area.<ref>Hartmut Jungius (2010). ''[http://www.wwf.ru/publ/book/eng/460 Feasibility Study on the Possible Restoration of the Caspian Tiger in Central Asia]''. WWF</ref>

== References ==
<references/>
{{Deserts}}

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[[Category:Kazakhstan geography stubs]]
[[Category:Deserts of Central Asia]]
[[Category:Deserts of Kazakhstan]]


{{Kazakhstan-geo-stub}}