Abstract: In a popular form it describes the origination, nature and fauna of the Chatkal nature reserve. Habitats and ecology of Menzbier's marmot, water-snake, forest dormouse, and fox are described. It also indicates mammal and bird species listed in the Red Book of the USSR black vulture, griffon vulture, bearded vulture, golden eagle, snow leopard, Turkestan lynx, and Tien-Shan brown bear. There are 23 mammal species in the Hissar nature reserve. Ecology of snow leopard and Siberian mountain ibex is described. In the year 1977, 15 Turkestan lynx, about 25 Tien-Shan brown bears, five to seven snow leopards, and 120 150 Siberian mountain ibex were counted in the nature reserve.

Abstract: Method of questionnaire design is used for long time successfully in the various fields of zoological research. This method is most significant for the collecting of data on threatened species. It can be applied together with standard inquest and survey methods without taking remarkable financial and temporal expenses. Such data can be assigned as the base for further planning of scientific investigations of the threatened species. In the result of survey, there were gathered 96 records of Snow Leopard and its tracks of the vital functions on Ugam, Pskem, Chatkal, Turkestan and Hissar ridges. Majority of records was made on Hissar ridge either on the area of Hissar reserve, either outside of protected area. There was collected data on distribution of Snow Leopard in Uzbekistan, on its territorial and food behavior, cases and causes of poaching. As a conclusion, it seems to be rational to use the method of questionnaire design among rangers of protected areas and local inhabitants for the collecting of primary information on threatened animal species. It would be optimal to gather such data every 3-4 years that would allow receiving the fresh comparable year-by-year information. Interpretation of questionnaire data should be made with certain prudence, taking into account subjectivity of collected information. Therefore during gathering of questionnaire data it is desirable personal attendance of researcher for more accurate definition of answers on the presented questions.

Abstract: Among species included in the Red Data Book of the USSR, predators occupy the first place; of them, unconditional leadership belongs the cat family species. Nine of eleven species of the family are referred to as rare and endangered ones. In the past snow leopard (Uncia uncia) inhabited all mountains on the south of the USSR from Tien Shan and Pamir to Transbaikalia. Now it no longer inhabits many of its previous habitats and has become rare, everywhere. Its total population in the USSR is no more than 1000 animals. At the beginning of XX century there were cases that such an amount of snow leopard (i.e. 1,000) was hunted during one year. Until recently, hunting the species was allowed all year round and even encouraged.