“Late in autumn, we went to the mountains with licenses to hunt the Siberian ibex — teke. As we ascended to its habitat, we encountered ulars that approached almost closely, within about five meters. Experienced hunters know that if you are tracking a teke, you will definitely meet ulars, and vice versa. We decided not to shoot the ulars so as not to scare off the ibex that might be nearby, and we also did not have a permit to hunt them. After admiring them and listening to their song, we continued on our way,” shared one of the witnesses.
Biologist Irina Stezhko explained: “The ulars is undoubtedly one of the most prestigious trophies among our game birds, but hunting it is a real challenge. To find one, you need to climb to a significant height in the Kyrgyz mountains. They are not always easy to spot, but sometimes you can hear their mysterious whistle ‘i-i-i-u-u-u’ or the call ‘kэ-kэ-kэ-ke-ke-ki’ from afar. This bird is very cautious and does not allow a person to come closer than a hundred meters. Their weight usually ranges around 2.5 kilograms or more. The meat of the ulars is renowned for its excellent taste and, according to locals, has healing properties. Due to their inaccessibility, ulars maintain their population in Kyrgyzstan, but in areas where roads appear and the number of people and livestock increases, this cautious bird becomes a rarity.”
