Biologists from the Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution under the Russian Academy of Sciences spoke to children from Zhemchuzhina summer camp in the Jewish Autonomous Region about the Amur tiger.

This was the first time that many of the children had heard about the life of this endangered species.  Scientists have been monitoring Amur tigers for a long time, including as part of a special programme to rehabilitate the predator. The children learned that in June 2014, two tiger cubs from the Primorye Territory were brought to the Zhuravliny nature reserve in the Oktyabrsky District. The cubs had lost their mother to poachers.

According to Severtsov Institute research associate Maria Chistopolova, Amur tigers are a common target of poachers, and so it is important not only to preserve the species, but to maintain and restore the population where it has been wiped out.
Such work requires a deep knowledge of the Amur tiger’s biology. To that end, a programme for Amur tiger research and conservation in the Russian Far East was created, including the rehabilitation of orphaned tiger cubs. With the support of the Russian Geographical Society, the Severtsov Institute together with the Tiger Special Inspectorate built a rehabilitation and reintroduction centre for Amur tigers and other rare species in the Primorye Territory in 2011. At the centre, tiger cubs undergo medical check-ups and are gradually reintroduced to their natural habitat so that they can be returned to the wild when they turn two. Each cub is fitted with a tracking collar before leaving the centre, which allows researchers to monitor the animal. Camera traps are also used to observe tigers at a distance.

Severtsov Institute chief engineer Pyotr Sonin believes that reintroducing orphaned tiger cubs, while not the main means of preserving the tiger population, is still important, as every cub adds to the effort.