Amur tigers to arrive in Kazakhstan in 2026
Russia will train Kazakh human-tiger conflict mitigation specialists, chairman of the Forestry and Wildlife Committee of the Kazakh Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry Daniyar Turgambayev told the press conference of the Central Communications Service, Kazinform News Agency reports.
One of Kazakhstan’s key conservation initiatives, codeveloped by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and UNDP, is the tiger reintroduction program. The Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry and the WWF signed a memorandum in 2017 to lay the foundation for the official start of activities in this sphere. The Ili Balkhash State Nature Reserve was founded in 2018. It covers an area of 415,200 hectares.
He stressed that infrastructure was built for forest restoration, protection, and monitoring, and enclosures were created for Bukhara deer and kulans to strengthen the food base. Over 200 Bukhara deer and 119 kulans were brought to Kazakhstan in 2018–2023.
Enclosures for tigers stretch over 3.5 hectares, and 1 hectare for wild boars. Besides, a veterinary station was established with modern equipment.
To note, in autumn 2024, two tigers (male and female) arrived in Kazakhstan from the Hoenderdaell Zoo, the Netherlands. The animals are currently under expert observation. After breeding and survival training, their offspring will be released into the wild. The parent pair will remain for educational and research purposes.
According to him, in 2025, a joint working group convened for its meetings twice under the Kazakhstan–Russia Memorandum on Amur tiger reintroduction. The parties agreed on training Kazakh specialists in human–predator conflict resolution and bringing three or four Amur tigers from Russia in the first half of 2026.
As earlier reported, the Kazakh President’s TV and Radio Complex produced a documentary titled Zholbarys on the project of bringing the Turan tiger back to its native habitat.