Kulan

    Great herds of Turkmenistan Kulan wandered the grasslands of central Kazakhstan up until the 1930s, when they vanished due to poaching. Today, the threatened Asian wild donkey only exists in a few places in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and the southern parts of Kazakhstan.

    Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative

    In 2006, the Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative was started, with the goal of restoring the wildlife of the central steppes of Kazakhstan. In addition to the bullet, re-establishment of Przewalski's horse and saiga-antelope is also included. Several conservation organizations and authorities are cooperating in moving kulans from protected areas in the south for release in the central parts.

    Moved to a reintroduction center

    The Kolmården Foundation supports one of these projects, where kulans are moved along the 1,300 km route from the Altyn Emel nature reserve in the south to a reintroduction center on the Taiga Steppe in central Kazakhstan. Once the cubs get used to the new environment, they are fitted with GPS transmitters and released into a protected area monitored by park rangers. With the help of the transmitters, you can follow the kulans and learn more about their lifestyle. Even solar-powered GPS ear tags are now being tested as an alternative.

    During 2023, 6 kulans were released from the reintroduction center. One of the animals fitted with a GPS collar moved 5,506 kilometers during the year.