The film crew of the Presidential Television and Radio Complex traveled deep into the Ile-Balkhash Reserve to show how, step by step, a unique ecosystem is being restored for the Turanian predator’s habitat. Here, conditions are being created in which the roar of the tiger — absent from our land for a hundred years — will once again be heard.

The idea of bringing tigers back to Central Asia had been maturing for a long time, and today we are witnessing the implementation of the largest environmental project in the history of independent Kazakhstan. The program is being carried out by the Committee of Forestry and Wildlife of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, with the support of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and UNDP in Kazakhstan.

According to Ekaterina Nakashidze, Director of WWF Central Asia, extensive scientific research was carried out to enable the return of the tiger to the wild.

— As a result of research based on the study of flora and fauna, ecosystems, as well as social and satellite data, the Ile-Balkhash region was identified as the most suitable area for the reintroduction of the tiger. The natural conditions of this region are well-suited for the tiger’s survival, said E. Nakashidze.

By the beginning of the 21st century, tigers had survived in only 13 countries worldwide. The scale of their disappearance was so alarming that the international community was forced to take urgent action. The main causes of their decline were targeted extermination, the destruction of natural habitats, and the loss of their prey base — wild ungulates.

“The catastrophic decline in tiger numbers worldwide led all 13 countries to sign the Global Tiger Initiative,” the project materials note. It was within this framework that the International Tiger Conservation Summit was held in St. Petersburg in 2010. At the summit, the Global Tiger Recovery Program was adopted, with the goal of doubling the number of wild tigers by 2022.

It was at this landmark forum that Kazakhstan announced its intention to bring the tiger back to Central Asia and endorsed the World Wide Fund for Nature’s idea of restoring the population. Seven years after the summit, in September 2017, a memorandum was signed between WWF and the Government of Kazakhstan to implement the program for the tiger’s return to the country.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has taken this project under his personal supervision, recognizing the return of the Turanian tiger as an important initiative in restoring the nation’s natural heritage. 

— We have begun restoring the population of the Turanian tiger in the Balkhash region. This is a difficult task that requires addressing a number of challenges related to human economic activity, said the Head of State.

The project has sparked a strong response from the international community. The Presidential Television and Radio Complex of the Republic of Kazakhstan has released a documentary dedicated to this unique initiative. The film covers not only the biological and technical aspects of relocating the tigers but also the stories of the people who work tirelessly every day to make their return a reality.

In the documentary, you will see: 
- rare footage from the expedition of the Presidential Television and Radio Complex film crew
- interviews with renowned scientists, biologists, and ecologists
- the story of Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio’s support for the return of the Turanian tiger

The film “Jolbarys” is not just about tigers. It is about how Kazakhstan is reclaiming its wild nature and its inhabitants..