The results of monitoring the Amur tigress Filippa have shown that the wild cat has established her hunting grounds on the left bank of the Amur River in the Jewish Autonomous Region, where she was attracted by a large group of boars. On 29 April 2017, Filippa was released into the wild in the Dichun Nature Sanctuary after rehabilitation.

The monitoring results show that the tigress is getting used to living in the wild. Scientists hope that she will be ready to mate soon. Her home range is adjacent to the hunting grounds of the tiger Borya. Although Borya has recently had cubs with the tigress Svetlaya, he may mate with Filippa and increase the tiger population of the Jewish Autonomous Region in 2019.

“Filippa will reach sexual maturity this year, and we hope she will follow in the footsteps of Zolushka and Svetlaya, who have had cubs. She has not chosen a mate yet, and there are not many around. Filippa spent much time walking along the Amur River, and we even feared that she might cross into China, but she appears to be quite comfortable where she is. We can monitor her movements via her tracking collar, and hence we know what she eats and can provide targeted protection to her in case of need,” said Sergei Aramilev, director general of the Amur Tiger Centre.

A GPS collar was put on the tigress upon her release into the wild. Her movements are monitored via the collar by experts from the Amur Tiger Centre, the Centre for the Rehabilitation and Reintroduction of Tigers and Other Rare Animals and the Jewish Autonomous Region’s Department of Hunting Supervision.