A rare animal listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan was rescued in Aktau. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
The weakened animal was found on the street. Police officers delivered it to the Mangystau Regional Territorial Inspectorate of Forestry and Wildlife. Following a request from the head of the inspectorate, Gabbas Dosatov, staff from the Ustyurt State Nature Reserve arrived at the scene – Deputy Director for Scientific Work Zhaskayrat Yermek and Inspector Dosan Atantayev.
Specialists identified the animal as a marbled polecat. This is a rare predator and the only representative of the genus Vormela. The species is listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan and belongs to Category III – rare animals with declining range and numbers.
During the examination, no serious external injuries were found. In the wild, the marbled polecat lives mainly in sandy areas and hunts small mammals, including gerbils, ground squirrels, and mice.
After the examination, the animal was transported to the territory of the Karakiya-Karakol State Nature Reserve and released into its natural habitat. The reserve noted that thanks to timely human assistance, the rare animal was given the opportunity to return to a safe life in the wild.
Earlier, Kursiv reported that two new inhabitants were born at the Burabay resort zoo – a male bison and a female sika deer.