An international meeting on the rehabilitation and reintroduction of large predatory mammals took place on 25-27 November at the Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow. The event was attended by scientists from Russia, Spain, India, Germany, South Africa, the UK and other countries.

Environmentalists shared their experience in restoring the populations of rare species of mammals in different parts of the world. They discussed the existing programmes for the rehabilitation and reintroduction of animals, their effectiveness, and the genetic, zoological and veterinary aspects of restoring mammal populations. The scientists also addressed the use of satellite telemetry to study the populations of rare predators and shared their experience in interaction with governmental agencies and NGOs.

Considerable attention was given to the rehabilitation and reintroduction of Amur tigers in the Russian Far East. Specialists discussed the rehabilitation of animals for their subsequent release into the wild, citing the example of five tiger cubs that were released last year.

Five tiger cubs, weak and abandoned, were found in the Far Eastern taiga in 2013. The cubs were named Ustin, Kuzya, Borya, Svetlaya and Ilona. Last May, President Vladimir Putin released Kuzya, Borya and Ilona into the wild in the Amur Region. Ustin and Svetlaya were released in the Jewish Autonomous Region in June. All five were fitted with GPS collars, making it possible to track their movements via satellite. The tigers were about one and a half years old when they were released.

In autumn, Kuzya and Ustin crossed into China but returned in December. Kuzya explored the southern Amur Region and swam across the Amur River. He has settled in the Jewish Autonomous Region. Between May and October last year, the Amur tiger travelled about 1,000 km. No data is available about his trip around China, from October to December.

The tigress Ilona visited the southern and central parts of the Arkhara District, visited the Jewish Autonomous Region and then returned to the Amur Region. Ilona now lives in the Khingan Nature Reserve. She covered 2,400 km last year.

Borya has settled in the central part of the Arkhara District. Borya has walked 2,400 km.

Ustin swam across the Amur and ventured into several villages in China, where he hunted various animals. Then he settled in the Bolshoi Khekhtsir Nature Reserve near Khabarovsk, where he reportedly attacked dogs. In late December, scientists had to catch Ustin and place him in a rehabilitation centre in the Primorye Territory. It turned out that he had suffered an injury on his way back from China. At present, Ustin lives in a zoo in Rostov-on-Don.

The tigress Svetlaya has settled in the Jewish Autonomous Region.