Tigers brought from the Netherlands to Kazakhstan are now ready to breed.

"Good news from the Ile-Balkhash Reserve: the Turanian tigers Bogdan and Kuma, who arrived from the Netherlands in September 2024, have started to mate! This indicates that they have successfully adapted to their new environment, and the conditions created by Kazakh specialists have proven to be comfortable for their life and reproduction.

The adaptation of these predators included familiarizing themselves with the territory and minimizing stress factors. Mating is an important sign that the tigers feel safe. Now there is hope that in the near future, offspring will appear, which will form the basis for establishing a new population of tigers in Kazakhstan." - reports the agency.

The Ministry of Ecology adds that the tiger reintroduction program in Kazakhstan began in 2018 with the support of WWF and UNDP. The project has now entered a new phase: it is planned to release both cubs born in enclosures and individuals brought from the Russian Far East into the wild.

"The return of the Turanian tiger to Kazakhstan signifies the restoration of the ecosystem and the enhancement of the country's biodiversity. We will monitor the fate of Bogdan and Kuma and hope for an increase in the tiger family!" - informs the ministry.

Recall that last September, it became known that tigers would be brought from the Netherlands and Russia to Kazakhstan - the country plans to restore the population of the Turanian tiger.

Shortly after, the Ministry of Ecology demonstrated how tigers were transported from the Netherlands to Kazakhstan. It was also reported that the final stage of preparation for the restoration of the tiger population in the country had begun in the Ile-Balkhash Reserve - the installation of enclosures.

At the end of January, the head of the Ministry of Ecology reported that the transported tigers are doing well and "look quite well-fed." He also discussed plans to bring tigers from Russia to Kazakhstan this year, which will be released into the wild.

Additionally, we previously wrote about the challenges faced by specialists in implementing the tiger population restoration project in Kazakhstan. The return of the predator involves a series of veterinary procedures and examinations, which is why in 2022, an analysis of the risks of diseases affecting animals in the Ile-Balkhash Reserve, as well as the tigers themselves, began.