The programme to study the Amur tiger population in Russia, running from 26 January through 10 February 2015, will lead to additional measures to conserve the subspecies, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Sergei Donskoi said.

A considerable amount of work has already been completed, including the development of a network of routes for the tiger count. Experts are currently being trained to track tigers and keep records.

The programme will study the population’s size and distribution, as well as its age and sex composition. Furthermore, scientists will examine how the animal’s movement patterns relate to sex, age and environmental factors.

Large tracts of natural habitat with undisturbed environmental processes are needed to ensure the viability of populations of large predators, the minister said. However, human destruction of habitats, tiger poaching and the emerging predator-prey imbalance threaten the Amur tiger.

The programme is organised by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and affiliated agencies with the support of the Amur Tiger centre, the Russian Academy of Sciences and other organisations.