Article
Steppe eagle global action plan approved at UN meeting on migratory species
Things are looking up for migratory species, the result of recently concluded UN meetings in Brazil. At the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), held from 23–29 March 2026, governments approved or upgraded action plans and expanded protection for dozens of migratory species worldwide. Among…
Read MoreJust another day in the life of a wildlife biologist!
Manul Working Group (MWG) partners recently deployed six camera traps in Kazakhstan’s Altyn Emel National Park, an effort to help monitor the manul in the country’s southeastern region. Altyn Emel rangers joined the fieldwork, guiding specialists through the park and assisting with logistics. These are the first camera traps in Altyn Emel placed specifically to…
Read More2026 will mark another milestone for tiger restoration in Kazakhstan
Siberian Tiger at Zurich Zoo; Wikimedia commons; Photo credit: albinfo; GNU Free Documentation License, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Free_Documentation_License In the first half of 2026, Kazakhstan’s Amur tiger reintroduction program will reach another pivotal milestone with the planned arrival of a small group of tigers from Russia. Between January and June, three to four Amur tigers are expected to…
Read MoreKulans at Altyn Dala released into the wild
Kazakhstan’s Asiatic wild ass (kulan) reintroduction program has reached another milestone with the late summer release of animals from the Altyn Dala acclimatization enclosure into the wild. After nearly a century of absence in this region, the kulans are once again roaming free across the Torgai steppe of central Kazakhstan. For the past year, the…
Read MoreTigers come roaring back to Kazakhstan
In September 2024, two adult Amur tigers—12-year-old female Bodhana and nine-year-old male Kuma—were translocated from a sanctuary in the Netherlands to Kazakhstan’s Ili-Balkhash Nature Reserve, marking the end of almost 70 years without tigers in the region. The homecoming is one stage of a long-term program to revive Kazakhstan’s lost tiger population and restore the…
Read MoreAnother “Magnificent Seven” Herd Arrives in Kazakhstan
Earlier this month seven Przewalski’s horses arrived in Kazakhstan, marking the second homecoming within a year under the “Return of the Wild Horses” project. On June 2, two Czech military transport planes carried three horses from the Prague Zoo and four from Hungary’s Hortobagy National Park to Arkalyk airport in northern Kazakhstan. From there, they…
Read MoreWelcome home, feathered friends!
In recent weeks three juvenile cinereous vultures—Asu, Karasha, and Zhetpys—and one intrepid imperial eagle, Tomiris, have returned to Kazakhstan from their winter sojourns. First, news about the cinereous vultures. Asu’s journey home from India took him through Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Asu lingered for two weeks in Kyrgyzstan visiting the Talas Mountains near…
Read MoreInternship at Shakpak Ornithological Station offers lessons on field work realities and rewards
In Part 1 of our interview, Nicole Ibrahim shared the journey that led her from Brooklyn to bird banding in Kazakhstan, describing how she got her start in ornithology and what brought her to Shakpak Ornithological Station. In Part 2, Nicole first reflects on the challenges of fieldwork and the sense of community she found…
Read MoreRare Persian leopard returns to Kazakhstan’s Ustyurt Plateau
After decades of absence, the Persian leopard (Panthera pardus tulliana) is reestablishing its presence on the Ustyurt Plateau, located in the Mangystau region in southwestern Kazakhstan. Over the past 16 months, one specific cat has been captured on camera traps deployed in the plateau’s protected areas, most recently in footage taken in Kyzylsai Regional Nature…
Read MoreDo you know where tulips originated?
Tulipa patens_Ulytausky raion Kazakhstan Tulips are practically synonymous with the Netherlands, known for its vast fields, varieties, and celebrations of these vibrant flowers. However, there’s another country that can lay claim to occupying a prominent place in tulip history and cultivation—Kazakhstan. While it’s a little-known fact, the story of the tulip began in Central…
Read More