Key species
Earth Day 2025: A shared future for renewable energy and wildlife
Next week marks the 55th anniversary of the first Earth Day— a movement that began in the United States and has since grown into a global celebration, now engaging more than one billion people worldwide. This year’s theme, “Our Power, Our Planet,” invites everyone to rally behind renewable energy solutions and accelerate the transition toward…
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 MoreKulan, welcome to the neighborhood!
The seven Przewalski’s horses that took up residence at the Altyn Dala State Nature Reserve in June are no longer the newcomers, thanks to the recent arrival of Asiatic wild asses, or kulan. Wild asses are also sometimes called onagers (so many names!). In early October, 24 kulan were relocated from the eastern part of…
Read MoreField work snapshot: improvements made to manul camera trap network
A team of researchers from the Manul Working Group and Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity in Kazakhstan (ACBK) recently completed the upgrade and maintenance of the manul (Pallas’s cat) camera trap monitoring network in central Kazakhstan, actions that will improve accuracy of population counts, expand understanding of the cat’s behavior, and shed additional insights…
Read MoreSummer 2024 fieldwork – horses, birds, and bats, oh my!
We are nearing the half-year mark since we started this new chapter. During that time, we have established and strengthened relationships with partners in Kazakhstan, promoted wildlife-focused initiatives, and told stories about the region’s wildlife. Here are a few highlights: Przewalski’s horses: Homecoming In June we reported on the return of Przewalski’s horses to their…
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 MoreAdopt a Camera for the Pallas’s “Grumpy” Cat
ABOUT THOSE FUZZY FELINES. Also known as a “Manul Cat,” a name with roots in the Mongolian language, Pallas’s cats are characterized by their thick fur, big round ears, and grumpy expressions. Native to Central Asia, Pallas’s cats are elusive, hampering the calculation of accurate population counts. Without more data, scientists struggle to know how…
Read MoreInternational Pallas’s “Grumpy” Cat Day – April 23
Every dog has its day, or so the expression goes, but so do cats! Arguably one of the lesser-known animal holidays (and one of several cat calendar observances) is International Pallas’s Cat Day, an educational and conservation-oriented holiday observed on April 23. Read on to learn more about the holiday’s honoree and support Pallas’s cat…
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