Information about wild cats of Turkmenistan (in the note of researchers XIX — the beginning of XX centuries)

Abstract

Materials on Turkmenistan XIX — early XX centuries: notes of researchers, reports of state and military officials; contain exceptional information that makes it possible to comprehensively reveal the history of the region from all, without exception, the parties. They also contain data on the animal world, in this case, reports of wild animals: tigers, leopards, leopards, cheetahs, etc.

The materials, and at the core of this are the data of Russian researchers, give a wide palette of species of predatory animals of the cat family. This information is of particular value against the background of the fact that some of these predatory, unfortunately, disappeared from the register of wild fauna of Turkmenistan.

The image of wild cats found a worthy reflection in the culture of Turkmen. With them, people have a lot of ideas and superstitions. These animals were a symbol of power, strength and power. The names of wild cats, preserved in onomatology, and often found in ethnonyms and local toponyms, indicate that the images of these majestic animals have firmly settled in the people's memory and occupy a sufficient place in the culture of the Turkmen people.