The villages of Ak-Shyirak and Enilchek, located on the territory of the Central Tien Shan of the Issyk-Kul region, were founded during the Soviet intensive development of the highlands of Kyrgyzstan as base camps for geological groups. Later, geological settlements were built here and they flourished until the collapse of the USSR. The main part of the population of the geological towns left these places in the early 90s of the last century and the geological settlements were inhabited by the local population. For the next 20 years, these settlements did not have the status of local ayil okmotu. At present, the main part of the local population of these people is engaged in cattle breeding. The number of resident population is growing and today 548 people are registered in Ak-Shyirak, and 171 people in Enilchek.

Due to their proximity to the borders with the PRC, visiting these areas requires obtaining permission from the border service. In winter, visiting these highlands becomes difficult because of the snow. Hunting for trophy mountain ungulates attracts a considerable number of seasonal foreign hunters to these areas.

Sarychat-Eertash Reserve has the highest population density of snow leopard (2 individuals per 100 sq. km) and mountain ungulates in the world (2400 argali and 2500 ibex per 1400 sq. km). Individual plots of snow leopards often reach 1000 square meters. km. Thus, the area around such a dense focus also has a high predator population and is of great conservation interest.