Algeti reserve: the return of the deer
Good news from the forests near Manglisi: noble deer are running again in the Algeti National Park. This is part of a large national programme for restoring rare species — and the largest such project in the entire Caucasus.
What happened
The Caucasian red deer (Cervus elaphus maral) is the only red deer subspecies in Eurasia threatened with extinction. For decades the population suffered from poaching and almost disappeared.
Georgia's Ministry of Environmental Protection and the National Wildlife Agency launched the National Species Recovery Plan. A 60-hectare breeding facility was created in Algeti National Park — the largest such facility in the Caucasus region.
The first inhabitants
Seven animals — five females and two males, raised at Tbilisi Zoo — were released into the protected forest area. In the first phase the population is planned to grow to 15 individuals; once it stabilises, deer will be gradually released into the wild.
Not only deer
Algeti park is a real natural treasure. It's one of the last large massifs of Caucasian fir and relict beech in Georgia. Recently a Persian leopard was recorded here for the first time in 20 years — a sign that the ecosystem is recovering.
How to visit
The road to Algeti National Park starts right in Manglisi. Trails are marked — the most famous is the Samepo Ridge Trail with panoramic views of the Trialeti range. Check current rules at the visitor centre before going.