Mangystau Region Sees Resurgence of Rare Persian Leopards 

ASTANA — Rare and endangered Persian leopards returned to the Mangystau Region, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management of the region reported on June 30.

The personnel of the Kyzylsay Regional Nature Park received reliable evidence of the return of the leopard to the Kazakhstan ecosystem in April. It became apparent that effective monitoring and protection of these rare and magnificent felines requires the combined efforts of various organizations. 

In 2018, trail cameras successfully recorded the presence of a young male leopard, who was later given the name Tau Sheri. Unfortunately, his remains were found in 2021, though the reason for his death is unknown. Nevertheless, the documented existence of leopards in the area enabled specialists to collect essential evidence, leading to the official recognition of the Persian leopard’s inclusion in Kazakhstan’s Red Book of Endangered Species. This recognition was endorsed by the government in 2021. 

In May this year, Kazakhstan launched an international transboundary project to study and protect big cats. It is being implemented in Kazakhstan by the Biodiversity Research and Conservation Center.  

There are ongoing efforts to promote conservation, which involve the creation of a new cluster on the southern edges of the Ustyurt Nature Reserve, situated near the intersection of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. It is expected that the border service of Kazakhstan will take responsibility for facilitating the movement of the leopard population across the national border, guaranteeing the ongoing preservation and growth of their numbers.

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