On 31 January, about 2,000 environmentalists will start a winter count of tigers and leopards at the initiative of the Ministry of Natural Resources and its agencies with the support of the Amur Tiger Centre and the Russian Academy of Sciences. The head of the ministry, Sergei Donskoy, believes the undertaking will demonstrate how the state can partner effectively with public and scientific organisations to carry out Russia’s conservation strategy for Amur tigers.

He added that the census will do more than measure population size. It will provide experts with information on the animals’ habitat and likelihood of expanding geographically, as well as threats posed by human activity and the condition of food sources. According to Sergei Aramilev, director of the Primorye branch of the Amur Tiger Centre, while the methods of measuring tiger tracks haven’t changed in over 50 years, this time researchers will gather more extensive data than in past attempts thanks to motion-sensor cameras installed on trails in specially protected areas. Scientists will be able to compare the data obtained from the two methods. They will also collect fecal samples of the wild cats to determine their geographical distribution, numbers and diet.