Following a recent initiative to introduce a richer eco-diversity to the territory of Kazakhstan, national media outlets are proudly announcing the arrival of four Amur tigers from Russia.
The Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve will now be the home for these two adult tigers and the two cubs, which were living wild in the Khabarovsk Region of the Russian Federation, and transported across the border as part of the commitment Kazakhstan has made to enrich its natural habitat.
Tigers had previously roamed the Kazakh steppe but went extinct 70 years ago, later on leading the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan to take steps, in cooperation with authorities north of the border, to release the large predators back where they reigned so long ago.
The initiative dates back to 2010, to the Tiger Conservation Forum in St. Petersburg. This is set to be the first resettlement of wild tigers to the environs of the River Ili Delta, identified as the best zone for the tigers following expert evaluation of its suitability for the majestic creatures to thrive and reproduce.
The project was far more than a question of flying the big cats in and releasing them into their new home. A long period was required to prepare the necessary natural habitat, plus the satellite-enabled collars. These will permit experts to monitor and track the Amur tigers, and to assess the feasibility of extending the scheme agreed on by the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Yerlan Nysanbayev, and his Russian counterpart, Alexander Kozlov.
Biodiversity is a firm commitment in Kazakhstan, and while tigers tend to write their own headlines, the ongoing work of various other scientific bodies and experts to enrich flora and fauna and protect ecosystems across the board should not be overlooked.
These four animals have got people talking, but this is neither the start nor the end of this broad long-term vision, and a healthy tiger population is considered to be just part of the conservation initiative in Kazakhstan.
