Wildlife Conservation - The Times Of Central Asia

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Environment Wildlife Conservation wildlife WWF Lake Balkhash Nature Reserve Turan Tiger

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...

Environmental Awareness Cultural Heritage Wildlife Conservation

‘Save the Berkuts’ Campaign Launched in Kazakhstan

On June 19, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan and Efes Kazakhstan signed a Memorandum to implement “Save the Berkuts”; a campaign aimed to preserve and restore Kazakhstan’s population of golden eagles. The Asian golden eagle known as a berkut, is revered as a living emblem of the country’s culture and history and symbolizing Kazkhstan’s national identity, was incorporated into the country’s flag designed by Shaken Niyazbekov in 1992. With a wingspan of up to two metres, it is the largest member of the hawk family and a formidable hunter, plays a crucial role in controlling numbers of rabbits, hares, marmots, foxes and even deer. Integral to Kazakhstan’s heritage, the berkut has been famously used by traditional hunters for centuries but its population is now threatened by a gradual destruction of its natural habitat, persecution, and illegal poaching. In recent years, the bird has been officially protected by the state and is included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s list of protected species. “Save the Berkuts” is a continuation of a project implemented by Efes Kazakhstan from 2012 to 2019. During this period, 25 golden eagles were bred and released into the wild around Almaty, leading to a significant increase in their numbers in the region. As part of the new campaign, supported by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, Efes Kazakhstan has pledged funding to boost and protect the population of wild eagles through expeditions and the maintenance of breeding programmes until 2034. Welcoming the initiative, the ministry stated that the memorandum demonstrates the joint efforts of the state and private business in preserving the natural heritage of Kazakhstan.

Wildlife Conservation

Uzbekistan’s Lake Julturbas Added to List Of Vital Wetlands

Lake Julturbas in Uzbekistan’s northwestern Karakalpakstan region has been added to the List of Wetlands of International Importance by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands – the intergovernmental treaty that governs the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. This was announced on February 12th during the 14th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP14), which is taking place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan this week. Lake Julturbas was once part of a bay of the Aral Sea, the fourth-largest lake in the world until around 1960, along with the nearby Sudochye Lake System, which is also a Wetland of International Importance. Since the severe reduction in the Aral Sea area, Lake Julturbas has become an important stopover for many birds migrating along the Central Asian and African-Eurasian flyways. It supports about 25,000 waterbirds annually, and 1% of the regional populations of at least seven bird species, including ferruginous duck, red-crested pochard, and white-headed duck. There are 15 species of fish, and five of them are endemic to the Aral Sea region, including two critically endangered species – the dwarf sturgeon and the Amu Darya sturgeon. There are also some land animals living around the periphery of the lake, such as the vulnerable goitered gazelle. Activities such as cattle grazing, reed harvesting, fishing and hunting are allowed for the local communities living around the lake.

Wildlife Conservation

Waiting for Cubs: How Almaty Zoo is Helping Save the Amur Tiger Population

Almaty Zoo is helping to replenish the Amur tiger population under an international conservation program. The Amur tiger population is still declining, and the main challenge for scientific foundations from different countries is breeding new cubs. Almost 400 species of animals live at the Almaty Zoo. Among them are llamas, chimpanzees, hippopotamus and tigers, with the latter comprising a family of nine individuals. The clan is headed by 13-year-old Urman, who arrived in Kazakhstan at one-year-old from the Perm Zoo in Russia by way of an international conservation program. "The main objective of the program is to preserve the genetic diversity of animals in the northern part of Eurasia and their reproduction, including in captivity. That's why we carefully searched for a mate for Urman, and not so long ago we managed to bring in a tigress, Tasha, from Moscow," said Akzhami Rakhimova of the Almaty Zoo. Now, staff are carefully monitoring the pair's behavior and diet so they can give reproduce. The last time tiger cubs were born at the zoo was three years ago. They were given the names Aya, Zoya, Maya, and Sherkhan. Zookeepers celebrate the birthdays of their charges, and very soon the birthday of Bentley, who arrived from the circus in Astana, is coming up. He will be five-years-old, and since he's already reached puberty, he'll soon need a mate. The staff note that the zoo is home for these animals which don't know life beyond captivity, as they either came from the circus or were born here. The tigers are quite accustomed to the attention of visitors and to eating on schedule.

Wildlife Conservation

Illegally Captured Migratory Birds Set Free

The Department of Ecology in Tashkent's Ohangaron district uncovered the illegal capture of eleven migratory birds. The investigation revealed that individuals had engaged in unlawful bird hunting within the Geolog mahalla area of the Ohangaran district. Subsequent inquiries led to the identification of the perpetrators. Each individual involved was issued an administrative protocol under part 1 of Article 90 of the Administrative Code, resulting in a fine of 3.4 million som ($275). Ongoing raids will continue to address such activities.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image="13537" img_size="full" el_class="scond-image" parallax_scroll="no" woodmart_inline="no"][vc_column_text woodmart_inline="no" text_larger="no"]Previously, in November, activists highlighted an incident involving the unlawful hunting of a protected bird of prey within mountain reserves. In a message posted on its Telegram channel, the Ekologuz group urged the Committee for Ecology and Environmental Protection of Uzbekistan and the Ministry of Internal Affairs to identify the individuals responsible and provide an official response regarding the situation. The Taskara bird involved in this incident holds a place in Uzbekistan's Red Data Book, signifying its endangered status and the need for stringent conservation measures.

Wildlife Conservation

458 Saiga Antelope Killed For Their Horns

A foreigner tried to take saiga horns worth 2 billion tenge from Kostanay. During a search, 916 saiga horns and about 7.5 million tenge in cash were found in the bags, the Kostanay region police department reported. Presumably, the offender caused about 2 billion tenge in damage to the state. He was arrested and placed in a temporary detention facility. On 25 December, Leonardo DiCaprio, esteemed Hollywood actor and environmentalist, brought attention to the Kazakh government success in saving the saiga population on his Instagram page. “Congrats to the government of Kazakhstan, which invested heavily in anti-poaching initiatives, robust law enforcement, and the establishment of new protected areas”. The antelope species has been reclassified from critically endangered to near threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species, with Kazakhstan population growing from 48,000 in 2005 to over 1.9 million in the wild.