Article
Welcome 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 MoreOne year in
Greetings, friends! It’s early spring and we want to share updates about our first year and future plans. There is a whole lot of chaos and uncertainty in the world right now, but we are committed to supporting and sustaining wildlife and the people who care for it in Kazakhstan. It’s what we do! 2024…
Read MoreCan the Caspian tiger be resurrected?
Two Amur tigers were recently transferred from a zoo in the Netherlands to a nature reserve in southern Kazakhstan, a historic step in a long-term effort to revive Kazakhstan’s extinct Caspian (Turanian) tiger population. Captive tigers aside, this pair is the first of these big cats to set paws on Kazakh soil in 76 years.…
Read MoreEvery species counts on Endangered Species Day!
Earth is home to countless species and landscapes. Unfortunately, human activities destroying habitats and overheating the planet have pushed many species into decline, breaking fragile and complex relationships within entire ecosystems. Thousands of animal species are also in steep decline in Eurasia, from the Saker falcon to the Pallas’s cat. This growing damage to ecosystems…
Read MorePrzewalski’s Horse to return to Kazakh steppe
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…
Read MoreExperts in Samarkand, Uzbekistan warn migratory species in trouble
U.N. Report Paints Dire Picture for Migratory Species In February, together with Biodiversity Research on Conservation Center (BRCC) colleagues Director Jennifer Castner participated in the 14th Conference of the Parties to the Convention for the Conservation of Migratory Species (COP-CMS) held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan from 12-17 February 2024. Migratory species—mammals, birds, fish, and insects that…
Read MoreVolunteering opportunities
Our volunteer fieldwork program is just getting started in our new geography. We try to connect intrepid, fit, and self-funded travelers with conservation fieldwork opportunities. Our partner scientists and conservationists are involved in raptor (eagles, owls, vulture) research in Kazakhstan. As we build our programs, other opportunities will become available in other parts of Eurasia.…
Read More