A young female tiger was found dead on the border of the Udeghei Legend National Park in the Russian Far East on December 28, 2010. She was one of two orphaned cubs released into the wild last September.

The tiger left no trail due to a blizzard last week that lasted four days and left a layer of snow 15-20 cm thick. However, the position of the body indicates that the animal was walking along a steep riverbank before leaping or falling to the ice below.

An examination revealed no injuries except deep scratches from foot to joint on both the front and hind legs. Cats often receive similar wounds in fights, and although there are no bite marks on the body, the animal might have been hurt by an older and stronger tiger.

The cub looked undernourished, but not to the point of emaciation, so starvation has also been ruled out as cause of death. The area has experienced a prolonged shortage of game, however. Few prints of hoofed animals are found in the local hills, while the cub's previous footprints show her roaming in broad circles after her prey.