Tigress Umit Successfully Hunts for the First Time After Being Released into the Wild

Amur tigress Umit, previously released into the wild in the Ili River delta, successfully hunts for the first time , El.kz reports.

According to the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, specialists recorded the tigress’s first independent hunt last week. Umit is currently being monitored around the clock, with specialists tracking her movements and physical condition. Since her release, the animal has remained approximately two km from the release site.

According to specialists, tigers feed, on average, approximately once a week. The successful hunt indicates that Umit has adapted to her natural environment and is capable of independently obtaining food.

Umit is the first tigress to be released into the wild under Kazakhstan’s programme to restore the Amur tiger population. Initially, specialists considered releasing two animals simultaneously, but decided to begin with a single individual in order to assess its adaptation and behaviour under natural conditions.

Over the coming months, four more Amur tigers two females and two males are planned to be released into the wild. The project to restore the predators to their historical range is designed to run for 35 years.

To establish an adequate prey base for the animals, populations of potential prey species have been restored in the Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve over the past ten years. In particular, 219 maral deer and 104 kulans have been introduced into the reserve, while the populations of wild boar and roe deer have also increased.

Specialists expect that the forested areas, reed beds and sufficient availability of prey will provide favourable conditions for the establishment of a viable and sustainable Amur tiger population in Kazakhstan.