Amur tigers released into the wild in Kazakhstan to help restore the extinct Turan species

Four Amur tigers (Siberian tigers) have been brought to Kazakhstan’s Ile-Balkhash Nature Reserve from Russia. The group includes an adult male and female aged three to four years, along with two cubs aged six to seven months.

The animals were captured in the wild in Russia’s Khabarovsk region and relocated under an international programme aimed at restoring the species in Central Asia.

Tigers were airlifted from Khabarovsk to Almaty, before being transferred by Mi-8 helicopter into a protected nature reserve. (Tigers were airlifted from Khabarovsk to Almaty, before being transferred by Mi-8 helicopter into a protected nature reserve.)

“The tigers will be fitted with satellite GPS collars, allowing specialists to monitor their movements and condition around the clock,” said Chairman of the Committee of Forestry and Wildlife at Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Ecology Daniyar Turgambayev.

“The programme is planned as a long-term effort spanning the next 40 to 50 years,” he added.

Four Amur tigers released into the wild in Kazakhstan. (Four Amur tigers released into the wild in Kazakhstan.)

The reintroduction area has been designated in southern Balkhash, along the Ile River. The area was once part of the tiger’s historical range before the species disappeared from the region.

About a decade ago, Kazakh officials established a protected reserve there and released kulans (wild asses) into the steppe to help establish a breeding prey base for the returning tigers. The protected area covers around 1.2 million hectares.

“119 kulans have been released into the reserve. Moreover, local populations of wild animals such as wild boar and roe deer are present and have been reproducing. Today, the prey base allows tigers to live comfortably,” said Kazakhstan’s Minister of Ecology Yerlan Nyssanbayev.

Balkhash is a unique natural area in southeastern Kazakhstan. It is home to species such as kulans, Bukhara deer, and wild boars. (Balkhash is a unique natural area in southeastern Kazakhstan. It is home to species such as kulans, Bukhara deer, and wild boars.)

Kazakhstan first announced its intention to reintroduce the species to the wild at the inaugural International Tiger Conservation Forum in St. Petersburg in 2010.

In 2024, two Amur tigers were relocated to the Ile-Balkhash Natutal Reserve from the Netherlands, coming from the specialised big cat sanctuary Stichting Leeuw at Landgoed Hoenderdaell Zoo.

In November 2025, Kazakhstan and Russia signed a joint roadmap to bring Amur tigers to Kazakhstan and support their adaptation to a new habitat.

Can Amur tigers restore a lost species?

Historically, Central Asia was home to the Turanian or also known as Caspian tiger (Panthera tigris virgata), which disappeared in the mid-20th century. The last known wild Turanian tiger in the region was killed in 1950s in Uzbekistan.

Kazakh officials say the Amur tiger belongs to the same continental subspecies as the extinct predator, making the reintroduction programme scientifically possible.

The Amur tiger, also known as the Siberian tiger, is the largest tiger subspecies in the world. It mainly lives in the forests of Russia’s Far East. (The Amur tiger, also known as the Siberian tiger, is the largest tiger subspecies in the world. It mainly lives in the forests of Russia’s Far East.)

The Amur tiger is one of the world’s rarest large predators and is listed on the International Red List of threatened species. Experts estimate that around 750 individuals remain in the wild in Russia.

The restoration of the tiger in the Balkhash region is expected to make a significant contribution to the Global Tiger Recovery Programme.