Kazakhstan's Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources has refuted the authenticity of a photograph of a tiger circulating on social media. According to the ministry's official statement on its Telegram channel, the image purportedly showing a tiger released into the Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve in the Almaty region is false, reports infohub.kz.
The ministry noted that the published image bears signs indicating it may have been generated using artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The released tigress is equipped with a satellite GPS collar, and specialists at the Ile-Balkhash reserve monitor her location and condition around the clock. Therefore, information about a random sighting of the animal is not true.
The ministry urged citizens and media representatives to verify the accuracy of information before spreading it and to rely only on official sources. It also reminded that spreading deliberately false information and publishing unreliable photo and video materials may entail liability under the laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
It is worth recalling that recently, for the first time in 70 years, a female Amur tiger was released into the wild in the Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve.