Two tigers at the Lazovsky Nature Reserve in the Primorye Territory have had a clash over territory, the nature reserve press service reports.

Evidence of a fight and blood were found by the reserve employees in Korpad near the Pryamushka River. According to the reserve’s researcher Galina Salkina, a fight between tigers is a rare occasion; she has seen tigers fighting only three times over the past 20 years.

“Tigers stake their claim to a territory this way. Usually scent marks are enough, but sometimes direct conflicts happen when the master defends its right to the area and banishes the rival. What’s interesting is that the strongest one does not necessarily win. Usually the winner is a self-righteous tiger who considers himself the true master of his land,” Salkina said.