First tiger released in Kazakhstan adapts to wild
The female Siberian tiger named Ümit, released into the wild as part of a project to revive the Caspian or Turan tiger population in Kazakhstan, has adapted to her new habitat and is hunting independently, authorities said, Qazinform News Agency reports.
At a press conference on Wednesday titled "Reviving the Turan tiger: State and business collaboration in biodiversity conservation," Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Alibek Kuantyrov said the tigress is successfully preying on wild boars in the Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve.
"For tigers to survive independently in the wild, having a sufficient prey population is essential," Kuantyrov said. "To that end, more than 200 Bukhara deer and 140 kulans were relocated to the reserve. Authorities are continuously working to expand the prey base. The tigress Ümit is already hunting on her own and has established her territory. This paved the way for the release of a male tiger after her."
As Qazinform News Agency reported, the Amur tiger, named Ümit, was released into the wild at the Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve on July 31, 2026, marking the first tiger to return to Kazakhstan's natural habitat in more than 70 years.