A month ago, children from the Uragus environmental club were asked to choose a name for a new tigress now roaming the Sikhote-Alinsky Nature Reserve.

Camera traps first took images of the mature Amur tigress at the reserve in late 2013. The tigress chose a remote ravine as her home, and the Eco Logovo  facility for members of the Uragus club will be established there.

In an effort to better acquaint Uragus club members with their new neighbour, experts of the reserve gave a talk about the tigress,  showing photos and videos taken by the camera traps. They told the children how to behave in the forest and what to do while encountering large predators. The children, who were quite happy to learn that the tigress would be living next door, started actively debating the new tigress’ name right after the lecture.

From now on, the beautiful striped tigress will be called Mira. When asked about the meaning of this name, Vladimir Neshatayev, a member of the Uragus club, said it was possible to save the world’s tiger population only through joint efforts. “This is reflected in the slogan that our club often uses in educational programmes: ‘Tiger to the World, the World to the Tiger,’” he noted. (The Russian word ‘Mir’ means ‘World’ – Ed.) The children also expressed hope that Mira would be able to live peacefully and securely at the nature reserve.

Members of the Uragus club are looking forward to the upcoming holiday season when they will be able to start working at the Eco Logovo  facility and to learn as much as possible about the life of taiga dwellers, including Mira. Their work at the reserve, as well as their curiosity and admiration for this powerful yet vulnerable animal, will prove that humans and tigers can live in peace and harmony.