First Tiger Released Into the Wild in Kazakhstan 70 Years After Turan Tiger Extinction
Veterinarians are tracking Umit with a GPS collar after health checks cleared the female Amur tiger for release in a decades-long reintroduction effort.
- On July 31, Kazakhstan released Umit, a female Amur tiger, into the Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve, marking the first wild tiger in the country in more than 70 years.
- Kazakhstan began restoration efforts at the International Tiger Conservation Forum in 2010, spending 16 years rehabilitating the South Balkhash area and planting 37,000 seedlings to restore habitat.
- Since no Caspian tigers remain, researchers are using Amur tigers as genetic stand-ins; their mitochondrial DNA types differ by only one nucleotide, providing scientific basis for the reintroduction programme.
- Veterinarians cleared Umit for release after assessing her health and hunting skills. She now wears a GPS collar for tracking, while captive tigers Bogdana and Kuma from the Netherlands remain in enclosures for breeding.
- Ecology Minister Yerlan Nysanbayev called the release a "truly historic event," describing it as the outcome of over a decade of international collaboration. Officials hope the programme eventually supports a self-sustaining wild tiger population in Central Asia.
18 Articles
18 Articles
More than 70 years after tigers virtually disappeared from Kazakhstan, a female Siberian tiger named Umit has been released into the wild, as scientists hope that Siberian tigers will help restore the tiger population in Central Asia.
First rare tiger in 70 years released in Kazakhstan to restore extinct species
A female Amur tiger has been released into the wild in Kazakhstan as part of a reintroduction project to restore the extinct Caspian tiger to Central Asia. Video released by Kazakhstan's Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources shows Umit sprinting out of her cage into the wilds of the Ile-Balkhash Nature Reserve and disappearing into the tall grass. As Amur and Caspian tigers are closely related, Umit will not find it difficult to adjust to th…
First tiger released into the wild in Kazakhstan 70 years after Turan tiger extinction
More than 70 years after tigers disappeared from Kazakhstan, a female Amur tiger named Umit has been released into the wild. The release is part of a programme to restore the species to its historic range in Central Asia.
In Kazakhstan, a tiger lady was exposed as part of a resettlement project.
Kazakhstan's Caspian tiger was declared extinct due to hunting by the military and prey reduction, now the country has released its first tiger in the wild after 70 years
Kazakhstan has released adult Amur tigers into the wild after a 70-year absence. This reintroduction follows extensive habitat preparation and prey population restoration efforts. Scientists confirmed the genetic similarity between extinct Turanian and current Amur tiger populations. The country has implemented a comprehensive conflict-prevention system for human-tiger coexistence. This significant conservation initiative aims to re-establish ti…
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