Kazakh Tazy gains preliminary recognition as official dog breed

The Kazakh tazy, one of the world’s oldest dog breeds, has achieved preliminary recognition as an official, independent breed by the International Canine Federation (FCI, Fédération Cynologique Internationale), a critical milestone in efforts to gain full international recognition as a distinct dog breed.  The decision represents a victory for Kazakh cynology (regional term for zoology-based…

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Przewalski’s horses return to Kazakhstan’s Golden Steppe

Przewalski's horses running freely on an arid plain with low mountains in the background

The first week in June saw a wildlife and biodiversity conservation milestone, as seven Przewalski’s horses arrived in Kazakhstan, the first phase of the “Return of the Wild Horses 2024” project. Reintroducing the horses to one of their natural habitats, following a centuries-old absence, is part of ongoing efforts to establish a self-sustaining population in…

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Przewalski’s Horse to return to Kazakh steppe

Herd of 14 Przewalski's horses galloping through snow toward the camera

Plans are underway to reintroduce Przewalski’s horse, a genetic descendent of the Botai horses domesticated in Kazakhstan some 5,500 years ago, to Kazakhstan’s central steppes, following a more than 100-year absence from the country. Per terms of the multi-stakeholder agreement between government and zoological entities in Kazakhstan, Czechia, Germany, and Hungary, the horses will be…

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Adopt a Camera for the Pallas’s “Grumpy” Cat

ABOUT THOSE FUZZY FELINES.  Also known as a “Manul Cat,” a name with roots in the Mongolian language, Pallas’s cats are characterized by their thick fur, big round ears, and grumpy expressions. Native to Central Asia, Pallas’s cats are elusive, hampering the calculation of accurate population counts.  Without more data, scientists struggle to know how…

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International Pallas’s “Grumpy” Cat Day – April 23

Manul trotting by against a rocky backdrop

Every dog has its day, or so the expression goes, but so do cats! Arguably one of the lesser-known animal holidays (and one of several cat calendar observances) is International Pallas’s Cat Day, an educational and conservation-oriented holiday observed on April 23.  Read on to learn more about the holiday’s honoree and support Pallas’s cat…

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