Russia: Kazakhstan Releases First Tiger Into the Wild in Over 70 Years

The government announced on Aug. 3 that Umit is fitted with a satellite tracking collar to monitor her movements and behavior in real time. "Today we are truly witnessing a historic event, said Kazakh Ecology and Natural Resources Minister Yerlan Nyssanbayev.

"For the first time in over 70 years since tigers were wiped out in Kazakhstan, a tiger has been reintroduced to its historic range. The release site was once home to the extinct Caspian (Turian) tiger, whose last confirmed sighting in Kazakhstan was recorded in 1948. Umit is an Amur tiger, a population of the mainland Asian tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) native to the Russian Far East and northeastern China. The Amur and Caspian tigers were once considered distinct subspecies but were both recognized as Panthera tigris tigris by the IUCN in 2017. Preparations for the reintroduction spanned over a decade, with the reserve established in 2018 to support the effort.