On 31 July, a wild-caught female tiger named "Umit" was released into a nature reserve on the edge of Lake Balkhash. This marks the first step in a project to reintroduce the Caspian tiger to the region, a species last reliably sighted in Kazakhstan over 70 years ago.
Umit, transported from the Russian far east, will be joined by more big cats in the coming years. The long-term plan aims to establish a self-sustaining population of approximately 50 Caspian tigers. A wild-caught male from Russia is currently being monitored and will be released once deemed fit to survive alone. Additionally, two wild tiger cubs are being reared in special enclosures on the reserve and are likely to be released next year.
Kazakhstan's environment minister, Yerlan Nysanbayev, described the release as a "truly historic event." The Caspian tiger was considered extinct in the 1970s and officially declared extinct in 2003, but DNA analysis in 2009 revealed its close genetic link to the Amur tiger.