Turan Tiger - The Times Of Central Asia

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Wildlife Conservation

Russia’s Amur Tigers to Aid Restoration of Tiger Population in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan and Russia have signed a formal action plan to reintroduce Amur tigers into Kazakhstan, marking a key step in restoring the region's long-extinct Turan tiger population. On November 12, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and Russia’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment agreed to transfer four Amur tigers, two males and two females from Russia to Kazakhstan. The animals will be relocated to the Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve in southern Kazakhstan, where they will undergo adaptation to local ecological conditions. According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Ecology, the reintroduction plan is scientifically supported. The now-extinct Turan tiger once roamed across Central Asia, the Caucasus, and northern Iran. Biologists believe that the Turan and Amur tigers, the latter native to Russia’s Far East, share the same genetic lineage. This provides a basis for using Amur tigers to revive the Turan population in Kazakhstan. Under the agreement, Russia will be responsible for veterinary oversight and transportation, while Kazakhstan will manage accommodation and post-transfer monitoring. The initiative is being implemented with support from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). In September 2024, two Amur tigers, a male and a female, were already transferred to the Ile-Balkhash Reserve from the Landgoed Hoenderdaell Zoo in the Netherlands. They are currently housed in a specially designed enclosure for breeding, with the aim of releasing their offspring into the wild. If successful, their cubs would be the first wild tigers to return to Kazakhstan in over 70 years. The southern shore of Lake Balkhash, located in the Ili River delta, was selected as the optimal site for tiger reintroduction. The Ile-Balkhash Reserve was created to rehabilitate the degraded ecosystems of the southern Balkhash region, with particular emphasis on restoring the tiger’s natural prey base. The reserve encompasses the last intact river delta in Central Asia, the Ili River Delta, whereas other major deltas such as those of the Syr Darya, Amu Darya, and Chu rivers have been severely degraded due to desertification. Officials say enhancing the prey base and preserving the area’s remoteness will help prevent human-wildlife conflict. Historically, Turan tigers inhabited reed beds and floodplain forests along the Ili and Syr Darya rivers. Tiger extermination in Kazakhstan began in 1891, when organized military hunts were conducted. The extinction of key prey species, including Bukhara deer, goitered gazelles, saigas, kulans, roe deer, and wild boars, combined with habitat loss, ultimately led to the disappearance of the Turan tiger by 1948. This is not Kazakhstan’s first species reintroduction effort. In June 2024, the country successfully reintroduced the first group of Przewalski’s horses to the Altyn Dala Nature Reserve in the Kostanay region. The horses were transported from the Prague Zoo.

Wildlife Conservation

Kazakhstan’s Red Book to Include 11 New Animal Species

Kazakhstan will soon expand its Red Book of rare and endangered species to include 11 new animal species, Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Nurken Sharbiev announced this week. Speaking at a session of the Senate Committee on Agrarian Issues, Nature Management, and Rural Development, Sharbiev noted that the current list includes 227 species, 132 vertebrates and 96 invertebrates. Kazakhstan is home to approximately 835 vertebrate and 100,000 invertebrate species in total. The updated Red Book list, compiled by the Institute of Zoology based on biological assessments aligned with International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria, will include six invertebrates, three species of scorpions and three insects and five vertebrates. These vertebrates include two bird species, the white-headed vulture and cinereous vulture, both of which inhabit the mountainous regions of southern and eastern Kazakhstan; two reptiles, the Dzungarian and Tien Shan lizards; and one mammal, the jungle cat, found in the Syr Darya and Chu river deltas and in southern marshlands. At the same time, 21 invertebrate species will be removed from the list. Sharbiev also highlighted encouraging progress in snow leopard conservation. The population of this endangered species has more than doubled from a critical low of 80 individuals in the late 1990s to 189 today. “Thanks to conservation and monitoring efforts, we have managed to significantly increase the population from its critical level,” he said. Once heavily hunted for its fur, the snow leopard remains listed by the IUCN as a rare species facing shrinking habitats and declining numbers. In Kazakhstan, it inhabits the southern and southeastern mountain systems, including the Western and Northern Tien Shan, the Dzungarian (Zhetysu) Alatau, as well as the Altai, Saur, and Tarbagatai ranges in the east. To support the species’ recovery, the government has established protected areas totaling 3.6 million hectares, about 70% of the snow leopard’s known habitat. Eleven leopards have been fitted with satellite collars to monitor their movements and guide conservation measures. Sharbiev also spoke about Kazakhstan’s ongoing efforts to reintroduce the Turanian tiger. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, two tigers brought from the Netherlands successfully survived their first winter in the country in 2024. A 415,000-hectare nature reserve, Ile-Balkhash, has been established in Almaty region to support the reintroduction program. Extinct in Kazakhstan since the mid-20th century due to poaching, agriculture, and habitat destruction, the Turanian tiger (Panthera tigris virgata) is being gradually reintroduced. Three to four additional tigers are expected to arrive from Russia in 2026. To restore the predator’s natural prey base, authorities have released 205 Bukhara deer into the Ile-Balkhash reserve between 2018 and 2024, relocated more than 100 kulans, and increased populations of roe deer and wild boar. As also previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan is simultaneously working to restore populations of the Przewalski’s horse, alongside the Turanian tiger and snow leopard.

Turan Tiger

Turanian Tigers From the Netherlands Survive First Winter in Kazakhstan

Two Turanian tigers brought from the Netherlands last year have successfully completed their first winter in Kazakhstan’s Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve. The tigers are housed in spacious enclosures, each exceeding 0.5 hectares. Their adaptation is progressing well, with the predators actively hunting small game, including birds such as magpies and crows that venture into their feeding areas. Historically, Turanian tigers thrived in the reed beds and forests at the mouth of the Ili River near Lake Balkhash. However, the species was last sighted in the region in 1948, and subsequently declared extinct. Revival Program for Turanian Tigers Kazakhstan is undertaking an ambitious program to restore the Turanian tiger population. In addition to the two Amur tigers brought to the Ile-Balkhash Reserve for captive breeding, three or four more wild tigers are expected to arrive from Russia in 2025. Efforts to establish a sustainable ecosystem for these predators have been ongoing since 2018. To create a natural prey base, the reserve has introduced 205 riparian deer and over 100 kulans. Additionally, populations of roe deer and wild boars have been bolstered to support the tigers' dietary needs. This marks a significant step in Kazakhstan's conservation journey, reviving an iconic species that once roamed its landscapes.

Wildlife Conservation

Tigers Return to Kazakhstan: A New Home for Bogdana and Kuma

A pair of Amur tigers from the Netherlands has been brought to Kazakhstan; tigers are not the only animals that Kazakhstan is getting back. A few days ago, a long-awaited pair of tigers, bred in a special reserve in the Netherlands, arrived in Kazakhstan. Online, some worried that the tigers would not survive in the harsh climate, or would attack livestock and people. According to WWF Netherlands wildlife expert, Geert Poleta, these fears are unfounded. For several years now, the international NGO, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), together with the Government of Kazakhstan, has been implementing a program to return tigers to Pribalkhashye. The Amur tiger is a relative of the extinct Turanian breed. Historically, the habitat of the Turanian tiger in the country was reed thickets and floodplain forests along the banks of the Ili and Syr Darya rivers. The extermination of the animal began during the time of the Russian Empire, and the last Kazakh tiger was killed in 1948. Decades later, wild cats are returning to Kazakhstan. As experts point out, this event is an essential step in restoring the ecosystem and lost biodiversity. Bogdana and Kuma, the names of the Amur tigers, flew for more than a day from the Dutch Holy Lion specialized center for predators at the Landgoed Hoenderdaell Zoo to the Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve. Permanent caretakers accompanied them. At the Dutch zoo, “the animals were kept in separate spacious enclosures with minimal contact with visitors," Gert Polet, a wildlife expert at WWF Netherlands explained. "Thanks to the spacious territory of the center, the tigers had their own area to live in the most natural conditions possible. In the summer of 2024, a Memorandum was signed between the Committee of Forestry and Wildlife of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Dutch center, which provides for the free transfer of two tigers to Kazakhstan for further breeding and the release of their offspring.” There is no need to fear that the big cats will harm residents in their new and unfamiliar conditions, as they will be kept under strict supervision. “Zoo tigers cannot be returned to the wild. The arriving tigers will never leave the territory of their enclosure. They were brought in for breeding and raising offspring. If the tiger's birth project is successful, the adults will be moved to another enclosure, located at a center of the reserve which will be open to visitors,” Polet stated. He believes that Bogdana and Kuma have a 60% chance of having cubs. Tiger cubs born in the enclosure of the Ile-Balkhash reserve will be reared following international standards and protocols. At one and a half to two years old, they will be prepared for release into the wild. In addition, the new residents of the reserve will be monitored constantly by video and cared for by a dedicated member of staff. “Over the past year, a veterinarian from the Zholbarys Association has been trained in various clinics and zoos in Russia. She also visited the...

Nature

Restoring Roars: The Historic Return of Amur Tigers to Kazakhstan’s Wilderness

This past weekend, two Amur tigers were brought to the Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve in southern Kazakhstan from the Landgoed Hoenderdaell Zoo in the Netherlands. The tigers, one male and one female, will live in a specially-built enclosure in the reserve for breeding and the release of their offspring into the wild. Their offspring are expected to become the first wild tigers to reappear on Kazakhstan's territory in more than 70 years. In 2025, another three or four tigers are planned to arrive in Kazakhstan from Russia. In 2010, Kazakhstan's government announced plans to reintroduce Amur tigers to the country. Seven years later, a tiger reintroduction program was developed, and the southern shore of Lake Balkhash in the delta of the Ili River was chosen as the most suitable place to restore the population in Kazakhstan. The program is being implemented by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources in Kazakhstan, with the support of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). According to the ministry, the Ile-Balkhash Reserve can accommodate a population of up to 100 tigers. The tigers that were once indigenous to Kazakhstan were known as Turan tigers. The Turan tiger was an extinct population once found in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and northern Iran. Biologists suggest that Turan tigers and Amur tigers, native to Russia's Far East, are not distinct subspecies but belong to the same group of big cats. The Ile-Balkhash Reserve was created to restore the ecosystem of the southern Balkhash region, and work is underway to restore the tiger's natural food base. Ile-Balkhash is a critical natural area of the Ile River Delta with the adjacent shore of Lake Balkhash. It is the only preserved river delta in Central Asia, while the others (the deltas of the Syr Darya, Amu Darya, and Chu Rivers) have degraded due to desertification. Improving the tiger's natural food supply and the reserve's remoteness will help avoid conflict between the tiger and humans in the area. Historically, the Turan tigers' habitats in Kazakhstan were reed beds and floodplain forests along the banks of the Ili and Syr Darya rivers. Based on historical records of tiger hunts and the frequency of human encounters with them, the population density of the Turan tiger was considerably higher than that of the Amur tiger, and more comparable to the density of tigers in India. In what is now Kazakhstan, the extermination of tigers, including through military shootings, began in 1891. The destruction of their habitat and primary food sources — such as Tugai red deer, goitered gazelles, saigas, kulans, roe deer, and wild boars — ultimately led to their extinction by 1948. This is not the first project to reintroduce endangered species to Kazakhstan. In June 2024, eight Przewalski’s horses were reintroduced to the Altyn Dala Nature Reserve in the Kostanay region of Kazakhstan. The horses were transported from Prague Zoo. The Kazakh Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources have said that 40 wild horses will be...