Experts continue to monitor Vladik the tiger who was released into the wild at Bikin National Park after rehabilitation. His GPS collar data and on-site movement verification indicate that the tiger has settled in the new habitat, crossed the Bikin River and ate a moose for lunch.

According to GPS data, for ten days the animal stayed in the same area and only moved within a 50 to 100-metre radius. When inspectors arrived at the site they found his lairs, paw prints and the remains of a moose (the hooves, bones and fur) scattered within 30-50 metres. The location was not far from where Vladik was released and it is expected that the wild cat will further remain in the area as it is densely populated by ungulates. Boar trails and Manchurian wapiti prints have been seen in the area.

“Vladik is unique in many respects. After his release, his behaviour was unusual, not like other recently released male tigers. Most importantly, he is keeping distance from people and catching his own food. And when we say he’s ‘keeping distance’ we are putting it mildly. When we check on what Vladik has been up to in a certain location, we have to hike for over a week – from a point only accessible by boat. When Vladik moves around, he climbs to almost 700 metres above sea level,” Sergei Aramilev, director of the Amur Tiger Centre’s Far Eastern branch, comments.

As of today, trail cameras have captured images of ten Amur tigers at Bikin National Park, including five males and five females.