Tigers from Russia's far east will be relocated to Central Asia under a plan to reintroduce them to a part of Kazakhstan where they went extinct in the early seventies. Studies have shown that Amur tigers are genetically identical to those of the Caspian region, making the relocation biologically neutral. Kazakhstan's President Karim Masimov made his interest in a reintroduction known to the WWF now that poaching and habitat loss are being addressed by his government. The Central Asia or Turin tiger is a cultural icon of Kazakhstan. The area targeted for relocation is around Lake Balkhash near the delta of the Ill River.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Year of the Tiger: Amur Tigers Will Go to Kazakhstan
Tigers from Russia's far east will be relocated to Central Asia under a plan to reintroduce them to a part of Kazakhstan where they went extinct in the early seventies. Studies have shown that Amur tigers are genetically identical to those of the Caspian region, making the relocation biologically neutral. Kazakhstan's President Karim Masimov made his interest in a reintroduction known to the WWF now that poaching and habitat loss are being addressed by his government. The Central Asia or Turin tiger is a cultural icon of Kazakhstan. The area targeted for relocation is around Lake Balkhash near the delta of the Ill River.