Karatal-Japaryk reserve was founded in 1995 in the forest regions of the northern hills of the Kargo mountains in the Naryn oblast. It consists of three small areas – a forested area and the high mountain lakes of Son Kul and Chatyr Kul - and occupies some 72,000 hectares. The main task of the reserve is protection and preservation of the habitat of the animals that are becoming rare in Kyrgyzstan – argali, ibex and others.