Saker falcon. Photo courtesy of basik.ru
50 saker falcons were released in East Kazakhstan oblast. They were brought from the United Arab Emirates, Interfax-Kazakhstan reports.
“The birds were confiscated from smugglers and a representative of a UAE ecological fund, sheik Mohammed Akhmet al-Bavardi delivered them to our region,” Ust-Kamenogorsk administration's press-release writes.
The birds were released at the territory of Kurchum and Katon-Karagay regions. This habitat is traditional for falcons, the administration says. Ecologists consider that this campaign will help increasing population of the rare birds listed in the international Red Book.