Female employees of the Sikhote-Alin Nature Reserve received an exclusive postcard on straight from the forest on International Women’s Day – new images of a tigress that recently moved in next door to the already famous tigress Varvara. The newcomer already behaves as if she owns the nearby territory, not like a shy neighbour.

Over the many years of cooperative research in the reserve, it has become tradition to name all the tigers being tracked. Now that the new tigress has established herself as a full member of the local “tiger team,” it’s time to give her a name.

This time members of the Uragus Environmental Club for Children, rather than the scientists, will choose the tigress’ name, as the new arrival is also their neighbour: the tigress likes to roam a bluff where a field research centre for Uragus club members will soon be established. “Our club has family ties to the nature reserve, you could say. Before it became independent, Uragus used to be a nature club at the Sikhote-Alin Nature Reserve,” said Galina Maximova, head of Uragus. “We plan to organise numerous joint projects in the near future, one of which is setting up a field research centre for the children at the reserve,” she added.

Members of Uragus club already know all about their striped neighbour, although they have not seen her yet. They spotted the tigress’ tracks while visiting the site of their future centre. “Not everyone can say they’ve seen and smelled a tree marked by a tiger, or photographed a tiger paw print or claw marks,” one child said. And since the superstition holds that you should always let a cat into a new home, the children think it’s a good sign that they have a real tiger living nearby.

The young conservationists saw many interesting and inspiring things during a nature hike through the reserve, including beautiful mountain ranges and a picturesque frozen river. This only added to their interest and eagerness to work.. The children will soon suggest names for the tigress, which they will discuss with nature reserve experts.

“We believe that the curiosity, enthusiasm, knowledge and imagination of a child will lead to a good name. The tiger will get a pretty name, and the field centre will become popular with visitors,” said Olga Arifulina, Deputy Director for Environmental Education at the Sikhote-Alin Nature Reserve. “It should be noted that the focus is on the children’s safety during their fieldwork. All projects must directly involve forest wardens and the adults in charge of the club,” she added.