A female Amur tiger has become the first of her species released into Kazakhstan's wild in more than 70 years, marking the practical start of a reintroduction programme more than a decade in the making. The tiger, named Umit, meaning 'hope' in Kazakh, was released on 31 July at the Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve in the country's southeast, according to Kazakhstan's Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources.
Veterinarians checked Umit's health, hunting ability and behaviour around people before her release. She now wears a GPS/GSM satellite collar, and reserve staff are tracking her movements around the clock through satellite data and camera traps.
