Shikahogh State Reserve | |
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Location | Armenia |
Coordinates | 39°02′N 46°27′E / 39.04°N 46.45°E |
Area | 10,330 ha (25,500 acres) |
Established | 1958 |
Governing body | Ministry of Nature Protection, Armenia |
Shikahogh State Reserve (Armenian: Շիկահողի արգելոց, romanized: Shikahoghi argelots') is Armenia’s second largest forest reserve, covering some 10,330 ha of land, and located in southern Armenia in the Syunik Province.[1] Environmentalists have said it has been largely unaffected by Armenia’s massive post-Soviet deforestation due to its remote location and care shown by residents of nearby villages.
The Shikahogh State Reserve is home to about 1,100 species of plants, 70 of which have been registered in the Red Book of Armenia and 18 in the Red Book of the Soviet Union. The fauna of Shikahogh has not been fully explored, but studies have already revealed rare species of animals such as leopard, bezoar, bear, snowcock, viper, and hedgehog.[2][3]