A ceremony was held in the Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve in the Almaty region of Kazakhstan to release the male Amur tiger, called "Amur", into its natural habitat.
Kazakhstan Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Alibek Kuantırov, Kazakhstan Forest and Wildlife Committee Chairman Daniyar Turgambayev, Amur Tiger Center General Manager Sergey Aramilev and experts involved in the project attended the ceremony.
In his speech at the ceremony, Minister Kuantirov stated that they took another important step towards bringing tigers back to Kazakhstan.
Kuantırov said that the female tiger named "Ümit" was released into the wild in the summer and the male tiger named "Amur" was released into the wild today, and emphasized that this was the result of joint work carried out with international organizations, especially Russia.
Kuantirov stated that their main goal is not only to return tigers to their historical habitats, but also to create a sustainable tiger population that can live and reproduce independently in its natural environment.
Kanat Kojabekov, Director of Ile-Balhash State Nature Reserve, stated that the work continued uninterruptedly after the tigers were released into the wild, and that a special team was formed to ensure the safety of the local people and to prevent possible situations between people and wild animals.
Kojabekov said that the team follows the movements of the tigers, communicates with the residents of the region and intervenes against possible risks.
Amur is able to live independently in its natural environment
After being brought to Kazakhstan, the Amur tiger was kept under the supervision of experts in the special adaptation area in the Ile-Balkhash Reserve and underwent comprehensive veterinary checks and behavioral tests before being released into the wild.
As a result of the examinations, it was determined that the tiger was able to live independently in its natural environment, and a satellite tracking collar was fitted to the tiger in order to monitor its movements and adaptation to its new habitat.
It was stated that the female tiger "Ümit", who was previously released into the wild, was successfully adapting to the steppe, hunted on her own, and her movements were tracked via a satellite collar.
The two cubs brought to Kazakhstan together with the adult tigers continue to grow under the supervision of experts. The decision to release them into the wild will be made after they reach the required age and complete the tests.
In order to reintroduce tigers to their natural habitats in Kazakhstan, the Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve was established in 2018, and within this scope, studies were initiated to improve natural habitats and reed forests, increase food resources and develop the protection infrastructure.
While Bukhara deer and kulans were placed in the reserve area to increase the number of wild ungulates, which are among the main food sources of tigers, 30 kulans from the Altın-Emel National Park in the country were transferred to the Ile-Balhaş Reserve in September this year.
With the support of Russia, a total of 4 tigers, including 2 adult Amur tigers and 2 cubs, captured from the natural habitats of the Khabarovsk region in May 2026, were brought to Kazakhstan, and the tigers were placed in specially prepared adaptation areas in the Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve before being released into the wild.
Thus, an important step was made in the process of returning tigers to their natural habitat after more than 70 years in the country.
Turanian tiger and Amur tiger are genetically almost identical
The Ile River Valley and the Southern Balkhash region, where tigers were released back into the wild in Kazakhstan, have been known as the natural habitat of Turanian tigers (Caspian tigers) throughout history.
The region was home to the Turanian tiger, one of Central Asia's largest predators, thanks to its brigade forests and rich game presence.
However, in the mid-20th century, the Turanian tiger became completely extinct in Kazakhstan due to the destruction of its natural habitat, the decline of wild ungulates and poaching.
Scientists state that molecular genetic research conducted in recent years has revealed that the Turan tiger and the Amur tiger are genetically almost identical. Therefore, the Amur tiger is considered the most suitable source population for reestablishing the tiger population in its historical habitats in Central Asia.
