Shikahogh State Reserve

Shikahogh State Reserve, The second largest forest reserve in Armenia,was established in 1958 by a decree of the ArmSSR Council of Ministers (No. P-341 of 13 September 1958) on the basis of the Kapan Forestry in order to conserve, study and recover unique flora and fauna of the broadleaf forests on the northern slopes of the Meghri Ridge. In 1963 it was reorganized to Bartas Sanctuary and reinstated as reserve only in 1975. Conservation is targeted at broadleaf (mostly oak, hornbeam and oak-hornbeam) forests, unique plant communities (yew, oriental plane and oriental beech groves), their flora and fauna. Shikahogh State Reserve is so unspoiled that large parts of it remains unexplored to this day. The forest is believed to be home to animals including leopards, bears, wild goats and vipers and it is also thought that Shikahogh State Reserve has about 1,100 species of plants, although its fauna has not yet been fully explored.