Kazakhstan to revive extinct Caspian tigers

The researchers plan to create a conservation area in the territory of Kazakhstan for reintroduction, in order to revive the extinct predators. Thanks to a genetic expertise, the experts found out that Siberian and Caspian tigers have similar DNA structures. Unfortunately, none of them are able to get naturalized in Kazakhstan. So, it was decided to replace them with Amur tigers.

Author of the project Mikhail Paltsyn says that the idea of reintroduction of tigers in Central Asia with the use of Amur tiger from Russia’s Far East has been discussed throughout 10 years. “The Government of Kazakhstan backed this project  in 2010. But we needed a strong research base in order to find a suitable habitat for tigers and to study possible results of reintroduction in various scenarios,” he says.

According to scientists, Caspian tigers inhabited the area of 800-900 thousand square meters near the rivers and streams. Based on these data, the specialists named Ili River delta as the best place for them. The project will be implemented in 25 years.