Kazakhstan has released the Amur tiger Umit — whose name means "hope" in Kazakh — into the unfenced Ile-Balkhash Nature Reserve, as part of an ambitious project to reintroduce wild tigers to Central Asia, where the species vanished more than 70 years ago.

Conservationists fitted Umit with a GPS/GSM tracking collar to monitor her movements.

An adult male tiger remains under observation as experts assess his readiness for release, while two cubs, aged six months on arrival, will stay under expert care until they turn 18 months.

Authorities say nearby residents will be alerted if a tiger comes within five kilometers of a village.