Four Amur tigers from Russia to be relocated to reserve in Kazakhstan
Russia will transfer four Amur tigers to Kazakhstan to implement a program to restore the population of this predator's closest relative in the country, TASS reports citing the Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry.
According to its press service, Moscow and Astana signed an action plan for the import and adaptation of the animals during Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's state visit to Moscow.
The ministry noted that Russia will transfer two male and two female tigers to Kazakhstan. "The animals will be delivered to the Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve, <...> where the first Amur tigers, delivered from the Netherlands, already live. The successful implementation of the program will establish Kazakhstan as one of the first countries to reintroduce the tiger to its former habitat," the statement said.
Amur tigers are the closest relatives of Caspian tigers, which previously inhabited Central Asia, but became extinct in Kazakhstan by 1948. The country hopes to restore its tiger population through this program.
Earlier, 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.