Russia will transfer four Amur tigers to Kazakhstan to help restore the species in the wild, Sergei Aramilev, director of the Amur Tiger Center, told TASS.
When will they arrive?
The transfer is planned for spring 2026. The group will include tigers of different sexes and ages as part of an international program to reintroduce the Amur tiger to Kazakhstan.
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Amur tigers are the closest relatives of the Caspian tiger, which once roamed Central Asia and became extinct in Kazakhstan by 1948.
«Once released into the wild, each tiger will be fitted with a collar equipped with a satellite tracking module,» Aramilev said. «Special monitoring teams will track their movements and study their prey.»
There are currently about 750 Amur tigers in Russia, and officials say relocating four animals will not affect the overall population. The animals will be closely monitored to help prevent conflicts with humans.
Where they will be released
Kazakh environmental officials have completed training in Khabarovsk, where they learned how to handle wild tigers, install tracking equipment, conduct veterinary exams and safely restrain the animals.
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The tigers will be released in the Ili-Balkhash (Ile-Balkhash) State Nature Reserve. Murat Rymzhanov, head of the Okhotzooprom branch, the state enterprise responsible for regulating wild animal populations, said the reserve is an ideal location because of its remote setting, strong prey base and suitable habitat conditions.
