Kazakhstan releases tigress into the wild for the first time in over 70 years

Kazakhstan has released a tigress into the wild for the first time in more than 70 years. The Amur tigress, named Ümit, now lives in the territory of the Ile-Balkhash state nature reserve, and specialists track her movements with a satellite collar. The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources said the animal was released on 31 July 2026.

Ümit is one of four Amur tigers delivered from Russia to Kazakhstan on 8 May 2026. The animals were flown from Khabarovsk to Almaty, then transported to the reserve by two helicopters. Russia donated two adult tigers, a male and a female aged 3.5 years, and two six-month-old cubs. The tigers were named Amur, Ümit, Turan and Ussuri under a joint decision of the Kazakh and Russian sides.

Before release, the adult tigers went through quarantine and tests of their hunting skills and their ability to avoid contact with people, a process that took one to one and a half months. The cubs will have a longer adaptation period, until they reach 1.5 to 2 years of age. The reserve, established in 2018 in Balkhash district of Almaty region, covers more than 450,000 hectares. Further releases will take place in stages.