Endangered Marbled Polecat Rescued and Released in Western Kazakhstan

A rare marbled polecat was rescued in Kazakhstan's Mangistau region after a local resident found the animal in their yard, Orda.kz reports, citing the Ustyurt State Nature Reserve.

The marbled polecat is listed in Kazakhstan's Red Book of endangered species. It is the only representative of the Vormela genus in the world and belongs to the mustelid family, which includes weasels and ferrets. The species is rare and declining, typically found in semi-fixed and fixed sands near populations of small mammals such as gerbils, ground squirrels and mice.

Police delivered the animal to the Mangistau Regional Territorial Inspectorate of Forestry and Wildlife. Inspectors contacted the Ustyurt Nature Reserve, whose specialists traveled to Aktau to assess the animal's condition. An examination found no serious injuries.

The polecat was then transported and released into its natural habitat in the Karakiy-Karakol reserve.

Original author: Oksana Matviyenko

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