A name has been chosen for the Amur tiger captured within Vladivostok city limits in October. The majority of those who took part in an online vote opted for the name Vladik, an abbreviation of Vladivostok proposed by Natural Resources Minister Sergei Donskoi to reflect the tiger’s appreciation of city life.

The online vote by the Amur Tiger Centre involved 2,877 people in Russia and 27 other countries, including Germany, France, Israel, Japan and Iceland.

Vladik has been taken to the Centre for the Rehabilitation and Reintroduction of Tigers and Other Rare Animals (PRNCO Tiger Centre), where he is monitored by veterinary specialists, who have found him healthy. The tiger has been moved to a large enclosure as part of preparations for his release into the wild. A tracking collar has been placed on him to give him time to get used to it.

If all goes well, Vladik will be released into the wild next spring. “We need to choose a site that meets certain conditions, including a large number of hooved animals, a long distance from populated areas and a small tiger population. Vladik is a male tiger and so needs a territory of his own. He cannot be released in winter, when badgers and raccoon dogs hibernate and it will be difficult for Vladik, considering his young age and low weight, to catch large hooved animals. We don’t want to take any risks,” director of the Amur Tiger Centre’s Far East branch Sergei Aramilev said.

The centre staff will issue a passport for the tiger, which will be used alongside the tracking collar to monitor his movement and health.