Almost 80 years ago, tigers were officially declared extinct in the Central Asian country of Kazakhstan.

The extinction of the Caspian tiger, which was native to Kazakhstan was a major stage in the thorough wiping out of the species.

While the Caspian tiger hadn’t been endemic to Kazakhstan – in fact, it had lived throughout Central Asia, with populations reaching as far as China and Türkiye – the country was home to the final bastion of the species; when these tigers fell, so did an entire species of the iconic big cats.

The country thought it had said farewell to the creatures for good. But now, almost a century later, conservation and rewilding initiatives are looking to change that.

But if the Caspian tiger is extinct, how can conservation happen in Kazakhstan? Well, it’s not about bringing back the species that human activity (hunting, habitat loss, human hunting of the tigers’ prey) wiped out – instead, it’s about returning tigers to Kazakhstan.

And to do that, scientists have selected the Caspian tiger’s closest living relative – the Amur (or Siberian) tiger.

While at present, only two Amur tigers have been taken to Kazakhstan – a male and a female, who are living in semi-wild conditions, the land is currently being prepared through large-scale forest restoration initiatives for the wider reintroduction of tigers.

And in a recent statement, the WWF revealed that the scheme is seeing unprecedented success, with almost 40,000 trees planted over ten hectares, the building blocks for islands of forest close to Lake Balkhash.

These forested areas will be fundamental to the life and hunting grounds of the tigers, with the habitats a big part of the restoration and reintroduction project. And as four more tigers are set to be captured in Russia and released in Kazakhstan this year, the developments couldn’t be any more timely.

It’s an exciting moment in the WWF’s project, with project manager Aibek Baibulov buoyed by the success:

“The results of 2025 are the outcome of many years of painstaking work. We are not simply planting trees – we are laying the foundation for resilient ecosystems capable of sustaining themselves. Today, we already see that plantings from previous years have reached heights of up to 2.5 meters, their root systems have reached groundwater, and they are forming полноценные natural communities. Restoring tugai forests is the basis for the return of wildlife to the region. Without healthy ecosystems, it is impossible to speak of stable animal populations, including the return of the tiger. We are grateful to all our partners and local residents who are contributing to this work.”

Hopefully all this work will make for a happier future for this beloved predator.

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