The tigers Pavlik and Yelena have been transferred from the Centre for the Rehabilitation and Reintroduction of Tigers and Other Rare Animals (Tiger Centre) in the Primorye Territory to their release site. According to the experts that were overseeing the animals’ transfer to the Arkharinsky District of the Amur Region, the tigers handled the trip well and feel great.

“It was the first time that we installed cameras in transit cages, which allowed us to monitor the tigers’ condition right from the vehicle and make fewer stops along the way. However, vehicles need fuel, so we could not do without stops completely. During those breaks, the tigers would become anxious and express their discontent. They would calm down as soon as the vehicles began moving again,” said Sergei Aramilev, director general of the Amur Tiger Centre, who travelled with the animals. He added that the tigers spent 18 and a half hours on the road. 

He also revealed that the convoy had to move through road work areas and heavy wildfire smoke on the way.

“We had to slow down on the road sections under repair and, on the contrary, speed through the smoke. The tigers did not like that, of course, but eventually they came to terms with the temporary confinement and fell asleep,” Aramilev said. 

Upon arrival, the specialists immobilised the tigers and put them in a prepared temporary open-air enclosure where they will spend five to seven days recovering from the journey and the drastic change of environment. Then the gate will be opened remotely and the animals will be released into the wild.

“For now, the tigers are recuperating from the immobilising drug that was injected before their transfer to the enclosure. We gave them enough water and food, including the carcass of an adult Manchurian wapiti and 10 live rabbits. So they will not starve during the adaptation period. Our group will stay here, along with the staff of the Directorate for the Protection and Use of Wildlife and Protected Areas of the Amur Region, and we will closely monitor the tigers. When the time is right, we will let them go,” said Viktor Kuzmenko, director of the Tiger Centre.  

Valery Pogosiyenko, director of Directorate for the Protection and Use of Wildlife and Protected Areas of the Amur Region, also said that the directorate staff will make sure the tigers are safe during their stay in the open-air enclosure.

“Our specialists started explaining the situation to local residents well in advance in order to prevent conflicts. This work is ongoing. We are glad that the transfer was successful and hope that the animals will adapt quickly, settle in and stay in the Amur Region. We will do everything we can for that,” he promised.