ASTANA, August 4. /TASS/. Amur tiger cubs transferred by Russia to Kazakhstan will remain in captivity for about another year, until they reach the age of 18 months, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Ecology announced.

The tiger cubs arrived in the republic in May at the age of 6-7 months, the ministry said, adding that they continue to grow and develop in specially equipped enclosures at the Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve in southern Kazakhstan. "They will remain under the supervision of specialists until they reach the age of 18 months," the ministry stated.

Specialists will decide whether each tiger cub can be released into the wild following veterinary examinations and behavioral tests. Moreover, a male tiger remains under constant observation. "A decision regarding his release into the wild will be made once all tests are complete and his readiness for independent life has been confirmed," the ministry noted.

In May, four Amur tigers were transported from Khabarovsk to the Ile-Balkhash Nature Reserve. They are the closest relatives of Caspian tigers, which used to inhabit Central Asia. In Kazakhstan, they went extinct by 1948. The country expects that the special program will help revive their population.