An historic event has taken place in Kazakhstan: an Amur tiger named Umit has been released into the wild. This is the first time in over 70 years that a tiger has returned to its natural habitat in the country, reports infohub.kz.
According to the press service of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the tiger was released on July 31. Before that, she had spent several months in a special enclosure undergoing adaptation. Veterinarians checked her health, specialists assessed her hunting skills and made sure she was ready for independent life.
"Immediately before the release, Umit was fitted with a modern satellite GPS/GSM collar. At present, round-the-clock monitoring of the tigress is organized using the satellite collar, a network of camera traps and other modern surveillance tools," the statement said.
The territory of the Ile-Balkhash reserve was chosen for the return of tigers for a reason. Once the Turan tiger lived there. It inhabited tugai forests along the Ili River and in the southern Balkhash region. But in the middle of the last century it completely disappeared due to poaching, deforestation and a decline in the number of wild animals it fed on.
Preparations for the return of tigers took more than 10 years. During this time, a reserve was created in Kazakhstan, the food supply was restored, the number of wild ungulates was increased, special enclosures were built and infrastructure was prepared.
"The tiger is at the top of the food chain and plays a key role in maintaining the natural balance. Its return is possible only where natural ecosystems are preserved and there is a sufficient food supply. Therefore, the return of the tiger means the restoration of not only the species itself, but also the entire ecosystem of the southern Balkhash region," the Ministry of Ecology added.
In May of this year, four Amur tigers were brought from Russia to Kazakhstan: two adults and two cubs. Genetic studies have shown that the Amur tiger and the extinct Turan tiger are almost identical, which is why Amur tigers were chosen to restore the population.
The male remains in the enclosure for now. Specialists continue to monitor his behavior and will decide when he is ready for life in the wild. The two cubs also remain under supervision for now. They are planned to be released only after they grow up and pass all necessary checks.
"In the future, as the other animals become ready, the work will continue. The ultimate goal of the program is to restore a sustainable tiger population in the Ili River delta and the southern Balkhash region," the ministry concluded.
Earlier, Kursiv reported that in September 2024, as part of the Turan tiger restoration project, two Amur tigers, Bogdan and Kuma, were brought to Kazakhstan from the Netherlands. Minister of Ecology Erlan Nysanbayev said that offspring have not yet been obtained.