Preliminary results from the first stage of a census of the Amur tiger population suggest that their numbers are stable, according to Alexei Surovy, head of the animal records and use section at the Primorye Territory’s Department for Hunting Supervision.

“Starting from December 2011, employees specially trained by the supervision department surveyed eight of the 16 areas in Primorye where the Amur Tiger population is counted each year,” Surovy said. “On Sunday, they completed the counting of this predator’s tracks in the snow in the Pozharsky District. The next stage of the census will begin in February, so it is too early to draw any conclusions, but I would say that the results are encouraging. The tiger population has remained stable, according to preliminary data.”

According to Surovy, the specialists spotted a female tiger with a cub as well as several individual animals in each of the areas surveyed. “The counters used GPS navigators to determine the coordinates of each track and measure the tracks’ length,” Surovy explained. “They also photographed and filmed the tiger tracks that they had discovered,” he added.