The signing of the joint plan for the import and adaptation of Amur tigers took place during Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's visit to Moscow. This document aims to strengthen the agreements on the restoration of the tiger population in Central Asia, reports Orda.kz.
The transfer of the tigers will be carried out to the Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve. The tiger restoration project has significant scientific and historical importance. In 2009, an international group of researchers confirmed that the DNA of the now-extinct Turanian tiger, which once lived in Kazakhstan, and the modern Amur tiger are almost identical, which became the basis for restoring this extinct population.
Veterinary preparation and transportation of the animals will be conducted by the Russian side, while Kazakhstan will handle their placement, adaptation, and further monitoring. The implementation of this project is supported by WWF (World Wildlife Fund) and UNDP (United Nations Development Programme). These organizations actively participate in conservation initiatives, including the restoration of wild animal populations, the creation of reserves, and environmental protection.
“In 2018, the Ile-Balkhash reserve was established in Kazakhstan, where the first Amur tigers delivered from the Netherlands already reside. The successful implementation of this program will allow Kazakhstan to become one of the first countries to restore tigers in the region of their extinction,” reported the press service of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
