ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s first temporary rehabilitation center for injured birds of prey and endangered wild birds has opened in the Mangystau Region, providing veterinary treatment and rehabilitation before the animals are released back into their natural habitat.
Photo credit: Temporary rehabilitation centre for wild birds. Click to see the map in full size. The map is designed by The Astana Times. The facility focuses on rescuing birds that have been injured or weakened, including eagles, falcons, hawks and other species protected under Kazakhstan’s Red Book.
Specialists at the center conduct medical examinations, provide treatment and oversee rehabilitation until the birds are fit to return to the wild. The project is now being implemented by the Umit Mangystau public foundation and commissioned by the region’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management.
Photo credit: Temporary rehabilitation centre for wild birds. At the moment, the center is preparing four birds for release into the wild. They are a rare glossy ibis and three common kestrels. Before returning to the natural habitat, the birds were ringed by ornithologists, allowing researchers to track their movement and gather information about the condition of the local bird population.
For some of the center’s patients, it may take days and weeks of intensive care. Injured or severely weakened birds may arrive unable to feed on their own. In its social media post, the center explains that specialists initially feed such birds by hand, tailoring diets and feeding schedules.
The center said the process of restoring independent feeding can take anywhere from several days to several weeks. The Mangystau Region lies along one of the country’s most important migratory bird routes. Every year, thousands of birds pass through the region, including rare and endangered species.
Many suffer injuries after colliding with power lines, vehicles and other infrastructure, while others fall victim to illegal hunting and trapping. The initiative builds on years of volunteer work by wildlife advocates and veterinarians in Aktau, the region’s administrative center, who treated injured birds without dedicated funding.
Among those involved in the effort were local blogger and volunteer Azamat Sarsenbayev and volunteer Natalya Inasaridze. Their work later drew the attention of regional authorities, leading to discussions to establish a specialized rehabilitation center. The public is encouraged to report injured or exhausted wild birds to the center so they can receive timely veterinary care and, whenever possible, be returned to their natural environment.