eXPAND TIGER RANGE

The Ile-Balkhash Nature Reserve lies in the east of Kazakhstan and is the largest natural delta and wetland complex of Central Asia. Tigers could once be found roaming this region but decades of historic hunting drove them to extinction. Now, over 70 years later, tigers are about to return. It’s hoped the two captive tigers will breed and their cubs will become the first wild tigers to set foot on Kazakhstan soil in decades.

This tiger reintroduction project, led by the Kazakhstan government, began in 2018 and isn’t just of national importance, but could be the first ever international reintroduction of tigers.

Years in the making

Returning an apex predator to a landscape is by no means an easy or simple task.

Community engagement has been a long-term focus for the project. The Auyldastar community, which calls the surroundings of the Ile-Balkhash Nature Reserve home, have lived without tigers for over 70 years. While a generational gap exists, the cultural significance of tigers remains strong. However, initial surveys indicated that there was some hesitation to bring back an apex predator to the landscape. Over the last six years WWF and partners have worked closely with the Auyldastar community to improve facilities and infrastructure within their community. After years of partnership community members are an integral part of the project. Some are involved with growing seedlings which will then be replanted in the reserve to improve the quality of the ecosystem for all, not just for tigers.

“With the launch of the tiger reintroduction program, we have witnessed a significant change - the revival of nature and our village of Karoy. This project not only restores lost ecosystems, but also fills us with pride in participating in a historic process.” Adilbaev Zhasar - Head of the Council of Elders, Auyldastar Community of Karoy village.

One way community partnerships have been built was through Village Development Committees which initiated a suite of income generating pilot projects that are subsidised and advised by the Programme. Habitat restoration across the Ile-Balkhash Nature Reserve also intensified, with support from communities that neighbour the reserve. To date over 50 hectares of indigenous species of oleaster and willow have been planted to improve the quality of habitat.

Restoration efforts will continue over the next few years after a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between WWF-International, the Ile-Balkhash Nature Reserve and The Royal Agricultural University earlier this year. To strengthen the protection from forest fires a volunteer firefighting brigade has been established within the local community.

Improving the habitat quality of the Ile-Balkhash Nature Reserve is an entire ecosystem restoration program in itself. Having healthy densities of tiger prey in the right places is the backbone of tiger conservation and many populations of tiger prey have been driven to very low levels. Conservation efforts have been focused on increasing populations of wild pigs, goitered gazelles, and reintroductions of Bukhara deer and Asiatic wild ass took place to return the species to the landscape. 

It was largely historic hunting that drove tigers to extinction in Kazakhstan. While there are now strict laws that prohibit hunting of tigers in the wild, sadly any reintroduced tigers are still at risk from poachers. Protection efforts have been improved across the reserve and the capacity of rangers increased. New vehicles allow rangers to travel across the challenging terrain which includes large areas of water, shrubland and in the winter months a lot of snow. The ranger team, which is composed of over 60 people, has adopted SMART, a tool that enables rangers to collect and store information on illegal activity, map patrol routes, monitor wildlife, and identify areas of habitat at risk.

What’s next?

The return of tigers to the wild in Kazakhstan has taken a huge step forwards. A community managed compensation scheme is in the process of becoming established as well as the formation of a response team that is in place to manage any potential human-tiger conflict in the future.

As for the two captive tigers the world will be waiting to see what comes next. If they do successfully breed the cubs will eventually be released into the wild once they’re ready to leave their mother. An intensive monitoring period will follow, as will further translocations of Amur tigers to ensure genetic diversity among Kazakhstan’s new wild tiger population.