WNAM MONITORING: The project to reintroduce Amur tigers into Kazakhstan, which involves bringing animals from Russia, is currently in the negotiation stage. Russia has developed a methodology and is ready to transfer the tigers.
Sergey Aramilev, the general director of the “Amur Tiger” Center, shared this information in an interview with RIA Novosti.
In 2022, during the Eastern Economic Forum, Russia and Kazakhstan signed an agreement on returning tigers to Kazakhstan, and some of the tigers may be brought from Primorye.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed confidence that Kazakhstan will be able to reintroduce tigers to Central Asia by 2025, with the help of Russian expertise.
According to Aramilev, the first stage of the plan involves releasing four tigers into Kazakhstan, likely those that were raised in a rehabilitation center.
“The project is currently somewhat frozen. Russia has fulfilled its obligations, developed a methodology, and has a stock of tigers with pure genetics in captivity. We are ready to prepare the animals for transfer to Kazakhstan in the shortest time… Negotiations are ongoing in a regular manner,” Aramilev said.
He also noted that there has been information in the media about the possible use of tigers from Dutch zoos, which, in his opinion, could complicate the project. “We hope this initiative will not be taken seriously… Besides environmental issues, there are political ones, and we are awaiting a decision from the authorities,” he added.
Aramilev emphasized that the main challenge of the project is recreating the natural habitat for tigers in Kazakhstan, especially given the widespread grazing of livestock. The primary goal is to prevent tiger attacks on livestock and minimize conflicts with people.
